


One more day

by StepTowardsTheLight



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Beards, Brief Tom Daley, Crossdressing, Daddy Kink, Denial, Halloween, Handcuffs, Harry is kind of a prick, Lingerie, M/M, Management are assholes, Mean Harry, Pining, Relationship Denial, Relationship Problems, Some Fluff, Threesome, Top Zayn, long fic, zouis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:10:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7724605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StepTowardsTheLight/pseuds/StepTowardsTheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I've never been in love love before but I think I might be starting to love love you"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moments

**Author's Note:**

> If we could only turn back time.

Louis had never expected for things to end this way. No one had. They had been invincible, untouchable, powerful and a whole list of other things but over time their strength had weakened, their relationships strained despite managements increasing attempts to control them, manipulate them. He had never wanted things to end this way, none of them had but after four years perhaps their fall was inevitable, it was still cruel, cold, like fate hadn't taken into consideration what any of the five would want but, at the end of the day, what they wanted was very different to what they all needed. And, after everything only four of them remained. He sighed heavily, still not used to the smaller number, or even the thought of it. It seemed alien to him that Zayn had reacted that way, went and gave up on everything the band had had, everything they'd built but here they were. Stretching out in his bunk bed that was the same strange mix of comfortable and uncomfortable he'd grown used to over the past four years, he closed his tired eyes, sighing heavily once more. If only they could go back to the start.

* * * * * * *

The start had been so fucking easy, so simple for all of the to get along with. Sure, it had been strange to audition as a soloist and end up having to sing with four guys you'd never even met before. It was scary too, having to go up against other groups that knew each other's voices so well but compared to everything that came later it was a walk in the fucking park. Louis, as the oldest had been the least naive, the least optimistic about the situation they'd been thrust into, closely followed by Liam who had tasted failure once before and seemed to agree that it was most definitely on the menu again. Harry and Niall however, had been ecstatic with their second chances, almost annoyingly optimistic and hopelessly determined that they were going to win this thing, together. They refused to give the idea up and Louis soon stopped finding their optimism irritating, forming close relationships with the pair of them because it became a comfort to hear that this was all going to work out in their favour. From the moment they were put together he'd been close to Harry and although there were times he wanted to shave the curly haired lads head that initial bond just kept growing. Maybe things would have been easier if he had loved Harry instead if they had fulfilled the plots of the many fan fictions and became the couple all their fans referred to as Larry Stylinson but that didn't happen. Things never happen the easy way around, he didn't get his solo career, he didn't get his easy romance. When Louis said that he and Harry were just friends he meant it. With Zayn, however, things were entirely different.

To this day, Louis doesn't quite know why Zayn had been so intriguing to him. Maybe it was his silence, the way he shied away from most people, blatantly avoiding conversation and questions. Maybe it was his reluctance to dance, the way he'd literally ran away for fear of being embarrassed. Maybe it was his voice, the way he managed to effortlessly hit high notes that the other boys were no longer even capable of trying. Maybe it was because he was the 'mysterious' one of the group, the title though given as a joke did seem fitting, Zayn was a mystery with his reluctance to open up to any of them. Either way Louis had always felt a pull to the younger boy a pull that definitely meant more than friendship. As young as he was Zayn was beautiful in a slightly awkward way Louis knew he would outgrow. However as magnetic as the pull was they'd literally just met and were probably going to be stuck together for quite a while (if things worked out) so Louis didn't risk making any moves. He didn't want to scare his new found friends away by being as open with his sexuality as he normally was at home, anyway, it would be foolish to start a relationship with Zayn in case they did win X factor and ended up breaking up on bad terms somewhere down the time line, it would jeopardise the band's future and was selfish. Even if they didn't win it would be equally as foolish, losing X factor would mean never seeing each other again and long distance never really worked out. Or at least Louis thought that he was naturally pessimistic especially with things so ridiculous as "love". With all these thoughts in his mind, Louis did what any gay 18-year old would do after falling for a boy he'd only known for 2 weeks and got his best female friend to pretend to be his long term girlfriend.

Hannah revelled in the growing fame of one direction and the way that, with each passing week Louis got happier and happier (and gayer and gayer). The week they all spent at Harry's dad's bungalow had been the best time of Louis' life and he gushed about it to his 'girlfriend' for days after he got back. Sure the bungalow had been pretty and need and had its own fucking pool ("A pool Han, in England") but that wasn't the cause for Louis' excitement. Zayn had started to open up to him, properly open up to him like telling him about his family and everything and that had Louis happier than he'd been since they got put together. Zayn trusted him! They were unstoppable now. They were going to win this thing, this stupid, stupid competition that had brought him to his four best friends. They were a unit now and they sounded fucking brilliant together, X factor was theirs and Louis wasn't the only one to feel that way. Not only did they have themselves convinced but they seemingly had the whole of Britain under their spell. For five lads who'd been singing together for a mere matter of weeks, they sure did sound good and, if people weren't blown away by their voices their looks sure did win them over.

Things never happen the easy way around, though.

One direction had come third.

At the time, Louis had been devastated like completely and utterly crushed. Third was good but third place wasn't first and he'd been so sure that first place would be theirs. They had come so far and at the very end they had lost. Their fans were going to be so disappointed in them and they would be forgotten about within the year because who remembers who came third on the X factor? They would all have to go back to their old lives. Alone. Without each others support. Louis had got so close to Zayn and all of that was going to be taken away from him more or less overnight. Or least that's what he thought, he thought it all to have been a waste of time. Although they didn't get their victory, their easy win Louis' view of their defeat was exaggerated, One Direction hadn't lost. When they left the X factor studio they still had to wade through a crowd of fans screaming their names. Their video diaries were still gaining views rapidly, even after the programme was finished and most importantly, their x-factor performances were still getting listened to. One direction had come third but it seemed like that original loss was all it took for them to reach the top of the world. In the end they certainly won. They were signed to Modest management swiftly after the X factor and things only seemed to get better from that point onwards.

"We're going to have an album." Had been the only thing any of them had been able to say for a good hour after they signed their contract. In their excitement addled moods they didn't read that damn bit of paper as thoroughly as they should have but they were young and new to that sort of thing. They were all just doing their best to hold onto what the x factor had started, to cling to the friendships they'd formed. Louis still ached for more than a friendship though and as the days went on, as the album started to come together he stopped hiding his longing as much as he originally had. He and Hannah staged their break up, laughing to one another on the phone that night about how concerned the boys had been for Louis even though they both thought it was adorable deep down. Zayn had been the most worried to Louis' surprise, completely convinced that the older boy was actually distraught, believing the sad look Louis wore for a couple of days meant he'd had his heart broken by Hannah. It was his idea for them to do something to cheer Louis up, it was Harry's idea for it to involve alcohol or, if you were Liam, juice as this was all before the third eldest's kidney magically fixed itself. An innocent night of them all drinking in Liam's hotel room had turned into so much more when Liam announced they'd all had enough and shooed them out. Niall and Harry went straight to their own beds but Zayn was still convinced Louis needed cheering up and so he dragged the older boy into his own room. Neither of them had spoken about their sexuality's before yet after that night they really didn't need to, Louis remembers if perfectly, despite how drunk he had been.

* * * * * * *

"Lou...Lou did you really love Hannah?" Zayn's voice was so sweet, so gentle and caring, even with the alcohol making his words slur together. Louis giggled, hiccuping slightly as he sat close to Zayn on the king sized bed, shaking his head slightly. It was still strange to him, sleeping on hotel beds that were so massive and comfortable when he was so used to just having a single bed at home.

"Only as a friend," he answered, waving his hand in the air slowly just because he could, blue eyes following his movement before he giggled again. "It was my idea to break up actually." That had Zayns face furrowing in confusion, eyebrows drawing together and lips parting.

"Oh...I thought you were like in 'love' love with her?" He said slowly. Louis shook his head, giggling again.

"I've never been in 'love' love before, but I think I might be starting to 'love' love you." It was funny, the effect those words had on the pair of them. Louis instantly panicked because shit, shit he'd fucked up. Zayn however just smiled widely, equally as shocked as Louis but not at all panicked. Calmly, as if it was perfectly normal, as if they'd done it many times before he cupped Louis cheeks with his hands and pressed their lips together. Their first kiss hadn't been the smoothest, both of them being driven by alcohol and months of pining didn't really care much for taking things slowly. Within no time, Louis was on top of Zayn, thighs either side of the younger boys as they kissed heatedly, hands roaming over each others bodies, just getting used to the feel of each others naked skin. It was magical really, fucking magical, Louis felt fireworks wherever Zayn touched him and as things progressed the feeling only got more intense. They'd both waited for so long for one another and they soon grew impatient of waiting any longer, Zayn flipped them easily so he was on top, spreading Louis legs carefully, looking up to make sure this was ok.

"Can I?" He asked when he realised Louis' eyes were closed, he'd barely finished the question when Louis nodded, opening his eyes as he did so. His cheeks were all flushed, blue eyes glassy and body pliant to Zayns lingering touches. 

"Please," he whispered, voice quiet and a little shaky, as if he was reluctant to beg, even though his body was clearly pleading for everything Zayn could give him. "Hurry." And Zayn had, finding lube in the dresser and quickly opening up Louis, marvelling in the way Louis seemed to simply submit to him. Normally the boisterous, loud one, it was strange to see Louis so needy, to hear him moan so sweetly and softly. Zayn hadn't expected Louis to be like this at all but it was so much better this way, he was seeing a side of Louis that not many people got to. Once he was sure that he wouldn't hurt Louis Zayn had pressed a sweet kiss to his lips before sliding on a condom and carefully pushing into the older boy. Louis had melted. His hands dug into Zayns back, legs wrapped around his waist as if trying to pull Zayn closer and further into him. Their moans had mixed together, filling the otherwise quiet air of the hotel room. Neither of them lasted long, spent from the build up and all the waiting they had done. They collapsed into each others arms, hazy and happy from their orgasms, truly content to have been with one another like that. That night they fell asleep together, Louis curled up to Zayns chest and Zayn hugging him protectively.

* * * * * * *

They hadn't woken up together.

Louis remembers that very clearly. It had been his fault. He'd woken up earlier than he normally would with a pounding head and an ache between his legs that he hadn't felt in a long time. There was also a pair of arms wrapped around him, holding him close to a warm chest, Zayns chest, Zayns arms. In his still ever so slightly drunk but very much hungover state he'd panicked, squeaking with the realisation of what they'd done and jumping up almost immediately to pull his clothes on. It kind of hurt, to know (or at least he thought he knew) that if Zayn woke up things between them would become intolerably awkward. Although he remembered most of what happened the night previous and, had a constant reminder of it due to the dull throbbing in his lower back, his natural pessimism was quick to come into play, even though he'd drank more than Zayn what if Zayn didn't remember? What if Zayn hadn't wanted it in the first place? What if it was just a pity fuck, a way to make Louis feel better after a break-up? All these doubts raced through his mind and Louis found himself fully clothed running back to his own room, calling Hannah as quickly as speed dial would allow and sobbing to her until the others woke up. It didn't come up over breakfast that morning, it didn't come up in the studio while they worked on their album, or even when the pair sat alone and watched TV together. Part of Louis was relieved, knowing that if Zayn did remember he wasn't bringing it up which meant he couldn't be that disgusted with the events, he probably just blamed the alcohol, this meant they could at least continue as normally as possible with their friendship. However another part of Louis felt like it had been split open, it hurt like hell to think that Zayn may not even remember something that had been so perfect and special to him. It was probably for the best but that didn't stop it hurting. Louis just had to keep reminding himself that a relationship with one of his band mates would just come between the future of the band.

Management seemed to have the same idea.

Well, sort of the same idea anyway. They weren't worried about relationships causing tension if they ended on bad terms, the actual feelings of the band didn't seem to be of any importance to them, it was all about revenue and profit to Modest. A negative image of the band would mean fewer sales, therefore less profit which could mean Modest's competition overtook them and they may lose a lot of their clients. Being gay apparently would lead to a negative image. The boys were somewhat sex symbols, girls listened to them because they were hot and straight and they liked the fantasise about being with them. Apparently anyway. And, as Larry Stylinson had well and truly taken over the fandom changes were needed despite the popular 'bromance' as it was dubbed being a load of absolute nonsense. It was decided that Louis, despite having just got out of a fake relationship was going to be put in another one and he also needed to start to distance himself from Harry whenever they were in public The beard he was ok with as after all, that was what Hannah had been (although she hadn't got paid) so he knew how to fake but distancing himself from his best friend? That was just plain stupid. It also made him really uncomfortable.

Ever since the beginning, when they'd literally just been told they were allowed to continue on X factor as a boy band, Louis and Harry had been basically inseparable. He relied on the younger boy for a lot, especially when they were out in public as he was a comfort to him. Harry knew him better than anyone else in the band and could always tell if Louis wasn't happy in a situation. It was a best friend thing and not being able to have that relief if, for example, they got mobbed by fans was a very scary thought. It also turned him against their management a little. All five boys were starting to see cracks in what had seemed like the best contract for them to sign. They all hated how controlled their lives were because of that stupid piece of paper they had to sign but, in order to continue to have the opportunities they did and the lives they were currently living they would have to suck it up. It was hard but Harry was still Louis best friend, management couldn't change that even if they could only act as best friends in the privacy of their flat or hotel rooms.

The separation was gradual, the lingering hugs stopped, they didn't sit beside one another in interviews and there was no more platonic hand holding but it was still hard. Not being able to give Harry's hand a squeeze for comfort was probably the worst part but, as much as it was a curse it was a slight blessing too. Louis got to spend more time with Zayn. The other boy also picked up on Louis' distress and he started providing the comfort Louis needed in stressful situations. Management didn't mind that, as there was less Zouis fan fiction, less Zouis shippers and, therefore they weren't so much of an image problem. They weren't banned from being close to one another, they weren't made to sit apart and so they grew closer (much to Louis' delight). It also meant that when a hotel got their booking wrong and only four rooms were available Louis and Zayn were told to just share, something that gave Louis' butterflies almost immediately.

* * * * * * *

"I guess we'll just have to share the bed then." Zayn mused out loud after a brief moment of silence, the two of them standing by the king sized bed that occupied the middle of their room. It wasn't as if Louis didn't like the idea of sharing a bed with Zayn it was just he wasn't sure if he trusted himself to do so. However, as there was no alternative option to the situation (Louis refused to sleep on one of the put up cot beds) they would have to make do.

"Ok," Louis said simply, setting his case down by the right side of the bed, knowing fine well that Zayn liked the left side better. He took a deep breath before stretching out, trying to relax his body They were two male friends sharing a bed, that was it, nothing was going to happen between them, he just needed to relax. "Do you mind if I take a bath?" Louis asked softly, looking up at Zayn who had sprawled out on the bed and was flicking through the TV channels.

"Not at all mate." Mate. A painful reminder of their just friends status. Louis held back a sigh and crouched beside his case, pulling out his wash bag, clean pants and an oversized shirt. He supposed he should probably keep clothes on if he was sharing with Zayn. Being sure to keep the contents of his suitcase of out view knowing fine well there was more than one incriminating item amongst the mess of boxers and clean socks his mum had thrust upon him Louis straightened up and retreated to the bathroom. He didn't zip his case as he wasn't really that phased by the thought of Zayn viewing those few items.

Zayn knew it was slightly weird, maybe even bordering on creepy but his curiosity had been spiked by the way Louis tried to shield the inside of his case from view using his small body and he could have sworn he'd seen a flash of lace ok? Once Louis was in the bath, bathroom door locked behind him and the sounds of running water mixing in with his pretty singing voice Zayn got up off the bed, moving to the small case. He couldn't help but get distracted for a moment as he listened to Louis sing, management didn't let Louis' voice be heard enough it was so....perfect. Zayn couldn't help but snort at his own cheesiness as he crouched down beside the case and opened it up. Oh. Oh. For the most part, the contents of Louis' luggage was completely innocent, exactly what you'd expect of an 18 year old male but several items were definitely far from innocent. The first being a rather large dildo, half hidden under a mess of socks and glittery pink in colour, Zayn held back a laugh, of course Louis would go all out even on something like that. There was a little bottle of lube, strawberry, about three-quarters empty which caused something to stir in Zayns stomach. Either Louis got friendly with his toy a lot or he let people get friendly with him a lot and the second thought made him just a little (well, quite a lot) jealous. The was a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs, another dildo (blue this time) and a box of condoms but Zayns favourite items by far were the four pairs of panties he found poking out from under one of Louis' t-shirts. Just imagining Louis in the little scraps of fabric, picturing the way his large bum would look in the sheer lace and how his cock would undoubtedly strain a little in the front made Zayns mouth water. Fuck, he had to sleep beside Louis and all he wanted now was to make the older boy play dress up.

Louis had taken his time in the bath, singing to himself as he washed his hair with cherry shampoo and cleaned his body with vanilla shower gel. It was kind of unfortunate that he was sharing with Zayn as he really was in the mood for feeling...pretty. After shaving his legs (the boys teased him profusely for his lack of hair not realising it was in fact, intentional) Louis got out the bath, drying and rubbing body butter into his skin. Warm from the heat in the bathroom he dressed, forgetting about the shorts and just pulling on his boxers and big shirt instead. It mostly covered everything. Humming softly, shorts and toiletry bag tucked under one arm Louis exited the room, smiling softly at Zayn who grinned back innocently.

"Nice bath?" Zayn asked, watching Louis as he put his things back in his case, loving how cute he looked with his hair all wet and tousled.

"Yeah." Louis grinned, stretching out before checking the time. "Think I may call it a night now though, gotta be up early." The quicker he went to sleep the less tempted he would be to press his body up to Zayns, wrap his arms around the others neck and kiss him, hard. Zayn nodded, moving along on the bed so Louis could lay down. Maybe it was best they both slept early, after all he knew he'd give himself away if they stayed up any longer.

"Me too actually," He said, pulling off his shirt right there and wriggling out of his jeans. Unlike Louis he saw no problem with sleeping in his boxers and was actually hoping the older boy would follow his example. He didn't immediately. Instead, Louis blushed crimson and slid under the sheets, removing his shirt under the covers and curling up in a ball. Zayn bit his lip, turning to face Louis back and pulling the boy closer to his chest in a playful manner. "Night Lou," He whispered close to the boys ear, hand ghosting over his hips lightly, just feeling the way the bone protruded.

"Night." Louis had replied meekly, cheeks furious red at the younger boys simple touch as he drifted off to sleep quite easily. It really didn't take long for his sub conscious mind to get stuck on an idea, a dream like fantasy that was a little more x rated than normal what with Zayns body pressed to his back like that and the boys arm looped around his waist in a manner so possessive if he'd been awake his head would have been reeling. Unaware of how his body was physically (and vocally) reacting to the dream Louis remained peacefully asleep, rather graphic images of the man he was currently in bed with bending him over playing like some sort of movie in his mind. Where he was unaware of his reactions to said dream Zayn had been woken instantly by the sweet sighs he was emitting, the way his hips were rocking back in search of friction and how undeniably turned on he was.

"Shit." Zayn moaned out loud as Louis' hips seemed to stutter. His best friends wet dream should not be the hottest thing he'd seen in his fucking life but Zayn was passed caring about boundaries. He wanted Louis and it very much seemed that Louis wanted someone too. Biting his lip and reminding himself how they'd already fucked so this was probably ok Zayn moved his hand to rest over Louis crotch, palming him gently as he rocked his hips in time with the other mans own thrusts. It took moments for Louis to awake, stiffening for a brief second Louis' and ceasing to make any noise alerting Zayn instantly that he was awake but as the Zayn persisted with his actions Louis started to relax into them, moaning out gently once again.

"Zayn, Zayn fuck me, please." They'd gone this far they may as well go all the way and Zayn didn't need persuading, reaching into the dresser for lube, he helped Louis slip off his boxers before slipping out his own. They wee a little more careful than the last time, getting to know each others bodies a little bit more now that they weren't just driven by alcohol and lust and it was perfect. For both of them. Louis felt incredible, clinging to Zayns strong back as he was fucked into the mattress and Zayn had never seen or heard anything as beautiful as Louis when he orgasmed. This time they did wake up together, curled up close, still blissed out from their climaxes. 

* * * * * * *

From then on they'd blurred together. Zayn and Louis became zaynandlouis and, although not official they revelled in each others company. Any chance to share hotel rooms was jumper upon eagerly by the both of them and as they got ready to go on tour for the first time they managed to find more and more ways to spend time together in and out of public. The rest of the band knew what they did behind closed doors but had an unspoken agreement to not bring it up until Louis and Zayn did. Sure, it was all well and good them fucking around but how long would they be just fucking around? As it wasn't official there was no 'you can't sleep with anyone else' no 'dates' and the pair had agreed that maybe official should wait till after tour. What if they both met new people? Although unlikely it could jeopardise the band and so they continued being zaynandlouis casually.

Their first tour was mad. Like completely and utterly alien for all five if them. It was their first time on the road, it was even Zayns first time out the country and as time progressed it seemed like more and more people were turning up to their shows. More and more people seemed to be recognising them, even in America! Wherever they went everyone seemed to know who they were, everyone seemed to know the words for their songs, everyone wanted to take pictures with them and get meet and greets. It was just odd. It was their first album and they'd managed to simultaneously crack Europe and America. People were starting to liken their success to that of the Beatles and that was probably the most surreal thing they'd ever heard. Almost immediately after their Up All Night tour finished they started working on album number two, proud that they got the chance to write songs by themselves and had more chance to showcase their voices.

They had to make public appearances alongside recording, making sure the media was always talking about them which was never not weird. The way they got treated at interviews or in hotels was foreign to them still, having not quite adjusted to the celebrity life style all of them found it a little odd they were getting treated so well and got to stay in such luxurious places. People doted on them wherever they went and as five boys adjusted to the middle class lifestyle in the UK they rather enjoyed the changes. Zayn and Louis found the fancy hotel suites particularly nice, taking advantage of the hot tubs and even a balcony once or twice. The tour bus was pretty fun too although they had to be more careful there, fans were forever trying to sneak in, paparazzi were always looming outside and they didn't think Liam could take walking in on them one more time. Management were still making Louis play happy couple with Eleanor even after their tour finished and even after their second album came out. Not only did this make Louis uncomfortable as every single interviewer would, without a doubt, ask about him about Eleanor but it also made Zayn incredibly jealous. Fair enough whenever Louis went out with the girl it always came up on the news making "Elounor" as they were dubbed and excellent publicity stun but that was all it was, a publicity stunt. Although still unofficial, due to the complication of Eleanor and the fact they never had time to talk feelings, Zayn couldn't help but feel that should be him Louis was holding hands with and it wasn't fair he didn't get to. They had two albums out and a huge fan base for fucks sake. As if they needed more publicity! Most of their fans believed they were gay anyway and were very clearly in support of members of the band being together, surely they could all come out now? Apparently not because voicing this opinion landed Zayn his very own beard and he didn't stop ranting about it, or fucking Louis rough to get his anger out for days.

The most gay rumours were still about Harry and Louis though who, even despite managements orders for them to distance themselves from one another managed to maintain a fiercely close friendship (which was another slightly more secret cause of jealously for Zayn). However the fact 'Larry Stylinson' was so popular meant that over 'pairings', as fans called them, were overlooked for the most part by the media. This meant when it came to nights out or awards ceremonies or sharing hotel rooms or a long list of other things it was perfectly normal for Zayn and Louis to be joined at the hip as they were just 'best friends' to most of the world.

* * * * * * *

"Louis c'mon! It cant be that bad" Zayn laughed slightly, standing outside the tour bus' little bathroom where the older boy had locked himself in.

"Yeah! You were all for the idea about an hour ago." Harry snickered, a smug look on his face.

"That was when I thought you would be the one to lose the bet." Louis said indignantly, stamping his foot a little bit. Liam rolled his eyes.

"Louis stop being dramatic, you lost now suck it up." He said, taking his normal sensible tone. "We're all going to be late if you don't get out the damn bathroom."

"Did you put the make up on to?" Niall asked, completely off topic, fiddling with his eye patch. It was halloween and they were all going to a fancy dress party at some nightclub where there was going to be a shit tonne of other celebrities and lots of paparazzi. It was understandable that Louis would be nervous. A loud sigh escaped his lips and slowly he unlocked the bathroom door.

"You twats better prepare to be amazed." He muttered sarcastically as he opened the door and stepped out, arms crossed around his stomach. Four jaws dropped as they took in Louis' appearence. They'd had a bet on some football game that seemed irrelevant now, the person who was furthest away from the actual score had to let the others pick their costume for the party. Louis had lost and, thinking themselves hilarious the others had picked him out a french maid costume, complete with a long wig and gaudy pink feather duster and, to say Louis suited it was a bit of an understatement. The fishnet thigh highs seemed to simultaneously exaggerate how slender his legs were as well as bringing to attention how muscular and toned they were, this was further amplified by the black heels he wore making him just short of Harry's height. The little black dress was form fitting at the top with bell shaped sleeves, poofing out into a tutu like skirt that only just covered his bum and, to top it off, Louis wore a little white apron over it, cinching him in further and drawing attention to his curves. On his wrists and ankles he had little lace cuffs, there was a strip of thin white ribbon round his neck and, balancing on top of his now long hair was a little white cap. He'd even managed to apply a little eyeliner, lipstick and mascara.

"Fucking 'ell" Niall was the first to speak, nodding his head slightly as he looked Louis up and down causing Zayn to prickle with jealously. "Don't take this the wrong way but if i wasn't straight i'd bang you." Harry rolled his eyes at the Irish boy, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk.

"Are you wearing everything i gave you?" He'd slipped in something to the costume pile the others didn't know about, a further challenge for the boy. They all looked at Louis then at Harry then back at Louis in curiosity. Louis huffed, Harry's 'surprise' had been the easiest part of this ordeal.

"Yes i am wearing the panties." Oh. Now, Zayn had known that from time to time Louis liked to wear panties since before the up all night tour but Louis didn't know he knew and so had never worn them around Zayn. The fact that right now Louis was wearing a pair, more specifically a pair Harry chose so they were bound to be naughty, did bad things to him. Swallowing he wrapped his arm around Louis' waist.

"Lets get going." He said, kissing the boys head innocently before putting his vampire teeth in and helping Louis to the car. Not that he needed help, Louis seemed surprisingly nimble in the black heels. However nimble as he was Louis was still incredibly nervous i mean, he had a large amount on show, he was dressed as a girl and the fucking world press was going to be outside this nightclub. Plus Zayn managed to look incredibly hot as a vampire, white faced with his cheek bones even more defined but Louis really couldn't risk any sign of arousal in this dress. 

"Louis! Shut your legs!" Liam chastised as the eldest boy took his natural sitting position, forgetting everything was on show. Louis flushed, sitting up straighter and crossing his legs immediately causing Harry to snort.

"I'm surprised you've lasted so long without complaining about the lace." 

Louis flipped him off.

* * * * * * *

By the time they got into the club Louis was exhausted, slightly humiliated and in desperate need of a rather large amount of alcohol. As expected the paps had went crazy, snapping pictures and asking questions from the moment he got out the car, he was pretty sure someone got a photo up his skirt too and to be quite honest the thought alone was horrific. However get absolutely shit faced would definitely make him feel better and so he made a beeline to the bar, then the dance floor, then the bar and so on, blissfully unaware of all the male attention he was getting.

Zayn was trying to keep his distance, not sure if he could trust himself to be within close proximity of the smaller boy given his current get up. Louis looked beautiful, absolutely out of this world in the costume that had been intended to humiliate him and everyone seemed to be noticing it. There was at least 3 guys dancing close to the boy who seemed blissfully unaware, cocktail clutched in his hand, dancing in a way that was unintentionally seductive as he took occasional sips from his drink through a...yes that was a penis shaped straw. Zayn groaned, putting his head in his hands for a brief moment. Louis had him under a spell right now.

In the brief moment Zayn had his head down Louis had allowed himself to be pulled away by some male celebrity in a rather shitty pirates costume that involved no shirt he knew of only because the man had recently came out and caused an uproar. The man smirked at Louis' willingness to go with him, leading him to a more private area of the club with a strong arm around his waist and oh so easily pushing Louis back against the wall gently. He leant in slow, tucking a strand of the boys wig behind his ear as he leant in to whisper against the soft skin between Louis' ear and neck.

"You really do look good in that dress, Tomlinson." He said simply, another smirking forming over his lips, warm breath spilling out against Louis' neck making smaller boy shiver, still clutching his cocktail in his hand.

"Thank you, Daly." He giggled, acting all innocent because why not? He was dressed as a French maid for fucks sake, he may as well play up his part. Tom seemed to be doing as such too, he was a pirate and he was after Louis booty....The thought had Louis giggling again and setting his drink down to stop from spilling it after taking another long sip through the novelty straw. Tom just nodded, grinning as his hands moved to hold Louis' small waist.

"You're not actually with that Eleanor girl are you?" He asked as if he already knew the answer, Louis immediately shook his head anyway. For fucks sake, he was wearing a dress could anyone honestly believe he was with a girl? "So you're single?" Tom questioned further and Louis nodded because he was. Him and Zayn were unofficial, just friends who fucked around. Satisfied with the answers Louis had given Tom leaned forwards and joined their lips together. That surprised Louis but he still kissed back, arms moving to wrap round Toms neck. Sure, this was going to all over the tabloids but it was nice. Tom had strong arms and large hands, holding him close by his curvy hips, thumbs rubbing circles through the fabric of his skirt. Tom kissed well and he wanted Louis, what more could Louis actually ask for? Ignoring his brains whisper of 'Zayn' Louis allowed Tom to deepen the kiss and, the more they kissed the more they seemed to want each other, pressing their bodies close, hips starting to grind a little as their arousal became more obvious. After what felt like forever Tom pulled back, moving his now reddened lips to the flushed skin of Louis' neck, sucking a small purple bruise against the column of his throat, one hand now holding the boys thigh tight. Louis was about to suggest going somewhere a bit more private so they could continue this when Tom was pulled, no, ripped away from him.

"Fuck off Daly!" Zayn said, angrier than Louis had ever seen before. His eyes dark and lips pursed as he reached and grabbed the smaller boys waist possessively, claiming him back from the diver in a way that made Louis squeak in surprise and internally grin"You're coming home now, you're in deep shit Lou everyone took pictures of your little show." Louis rolled his eyes, the elation inside of him disappearing with Zayns words. He didn't care about Louis kissing someone else, his reason for concern was image. Huffing in as angry a manner he could manage Louis pulled back from Zayn as best he could given that Zayn still had a tight hold of his waist.

"You don't get to choose who I kiss or when I stop kissing them" He managed to hiccup out, not sounding nearly as convincing as he wanted to. For fucks sake. Zayn was wrong to interrupt him and Tom like that yet he couldn't even stand up for himself. The dark haired boy raised an eyebrow, lips forming a coy smirk, the vampire teeth he'd donned for his costume long since abandoned.

"No?" He asked, laughing , as if Louis' defiance was some sort of bad joke. Louis remained stony faced, arms crossed over his chest. What a fucking ar- Oh. He hadn't even noticed him moving but Zayn had apparently surged forward and was now holding either side of his face. "Are you sure about that?" He smirked once more before leaning and kissing Louis, hard.

Now they were both in deep shit.

* * * * * * *

Cameras had clicked and flashed wildly as they got into a taxi together, holding hands with red lips and even redder faces. Maybe that had been a mistake, they had definitely been photographed, they were both definitely supposed to have girlfriends they were supposed to be faithful to but all that had went out the window. Now all they cared for was each other, driven by the force of lust. The second they were in the that was cab to take them to the hotel they were on each other. Management had booked the hotel specially for Halloween, knowing all five of them would be too worse for wear to sleep on the bus, they most definitely didn't expect Louis and Zayn to share a bed that night. The pair kissed heatedly, all tongue and too much teeth, pulling at each others clothes and touching as if all they knew was each others bodies. The only time they separated was to stumble into the hotel, after throwing some money at the cab driver and make their way into the elevator. The lift security film would definitely have to be bought and then disposed of the next morning.

"My room, now." Zayn growled against Louis' lips when the lift reached their floor, pulling the smaller boy out into the corridor and then along to his room. For a moment he was impressed, remembering the heels Louis still had on and admiring how mobile he managed to be in them, even when this drunk. "On the bed." He demanded, snapping out of his daydream and using his key card to unlock the door which he swiftly closed behind him. Obedient as ever Louis did as he was told, laying on his back, skirt slightly hiked up revealing the black lacy panties he wore. His cock strained against the front of the lacy fabric and his legs looked messily long, all spread, still in fishnets and heels. Zayn moaned at the very sight, removing his clothes slowly as he walked over.

"Zayn please." Louis purred, pushing his panties down and partially off as they got stuck on one ankle.Hurry up." Zayn shook his head.

"Why should I? You kissed someone else, you're mine Louis and you kissed someone else." Ok maybe they hadn't agreed to be each others yet but it still felt like betrayal. Louis blushed.

"Am I really?" Zayn grinned, getting on the bed between Louis' spread legs.

"Yeah. Only I get to see you like this." He said firmly, pushing Louis' legs further apart and lifting them up slightly, ducking his head down and licking a firm stripe over the boys entrance. Louis went wild for this and he wanted to tease as much as he could, get his sweet revenge on the boy for even thinking someone else could please him like this. "So pretty for me." He whispered, looking up at Louis' who already looked wrecked, dress all pushed up, heels and fishnet stockings still on. Smirking he ducked his head back down, alternating between licking long stripes and little kitten licks, fucking Louis open with his tongue as the older boy completely fell apart for him. It was so hot, the way Louis grabbed Zayns head as if afraid he would stop the actions.

"Zayn!" He whimpered, deliciously close already and Zayn seemed to sense that, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Bad boys don't get to come that quickly." He reprimanded, shaking his head as he looked at the ruined boy before him. A whine escaped Louis' full lips but Zayn just laughed, leaning in to kiss the boys lips softly. "Be patient baby." He purred, hands roaming over the boys firm thighs. The image of Tom and Louis was still in his mind, filling him with a kind of jealous lust, the desire to prove that Louis was in fact all his. Pulling back from the boys kiss he lifted Louis easily, flipping him so he laid on his stomach. "Hands and knees."

"O-ok." Louis stuttered out, doing as he was told quickly. There was something about Zayn acting like this that just did something for him. Zayn smirked, admiring the full curve of the boys bum visible under the tulle of the skirt he wore. He didn't think he'd seen anything so perfect before in his life. Leaning in he nipped the skin of Louis' bum, sucking a purple bruise against him and revelling in the way Louis moaned out, clearly desperate for more. Zayn suddenly had an idea. He moved back off the bed, laughing a little when Louis' groaned, clearly frustrated with the lack of contact and sidled over to Louis suitcase. Knowing exactly what he wanted Zayn opened it up, pulling out the pink fluffy hand cuffs he'd previously stumbled across but never mentioned to Louis. "What are y-" Louis trailed off when he saw what was in Zayns hands, blushing dark causing Zayn to laugh.

"Don't be embarrassed baby, they're hot." He said sweetly, looping the cuffs round the beds head board before securing Louis' wrists, kissing his neck softly once the boy was cuffed in place. It really was quite the sight to behold. The dress, fishnets and heels definitely made the position Louis was in naughtier. Moving slowly, still intent on teasing Zayn sat back by Louis arse, stroking his fingers over the boys entrance and grinning as Louis visibly shuddered.

"Please Zayn, please." He'd given up even trying to contain his begging and it was such a turn on. Suddenly desperate to get inside the small boy Zayn pushed one finger into his tight entrance free hand moving to hold the boys stomach, trying to get him to relax. It seemed to work because Louis soon started to push back, wanting more inside him obviously and Zayn just grinned, kissing the base of the boys spine before slipping in another finger. He loved how Louis just fell apart, how needy his moans sounded as Zayn avoided the small bump he knew would drive Louis crazy. "Zayn!" Louis cried desperately, back arching and eyes all wide. "Please, n-need more."

"God." Painfully aware of how hard he himself was Zayn removed his fingers, smirking softly as he lined himself up with Louis tight hole and pushed in. It was bliss like this, it really was. The sounds Louis made got louder and louder, both boys so caught up in each other that they really didn't care for people who may be trying to sleep in the room beside them. This was their time.

"Zayn!" Louis all but screamed the boys name as with every thrust his prostate was hit, leaving his mouth in an o shape and his eyes all scrunched up. "Zayn please, please I'm close, can i come?" He babbled. The fact Louis felt that he had to ask for permission did something to Zayn and it had him nearing climax as well.

"God, fuck yes Louis, so good for me, come for me baby." Zayn moaned, leaning his body over the smaller boys and sucking a mark on the side of Louis' neck. His mark. A visible warning for anyone like Tom who might try and approach his beautiful boy again. Zayn had never been good with sharing and he'd be damned if he was forced to share Louis. A whimper escaped Louis' lips as Zayn left his mark and he found himself climaxing, ruining the front of his dress with his release and clenching around Zayn. "Fuck." Zayn muttered, feeling Louis get tighter and coming himself with a cry. He rode out their orgasms before gently pulling out, kissing Louis and uncuffing him from the bed.

"Thank you Zee." Louis whispered, completely blissed out, causing Zayn to smile and cuddle Louis close to him.

"No bother baby, you sleep now yeah?" He said gently. When Louis had drifted off Zayn carefully undressed him, not wanting him to get uncomfortable. It was funny how Louis could go from looking positively sinful to absolutely adorable in the space of a few seconds.

* * * * * * *

As blissful as that morning had been it was also the start of a long, downward spiral. They'd woken up in each others arms, smiles on their faces, a sea of love bites covering Louis' neck that more than distracted from the singular one that Tom had given him. Zayn had definitely done a good job of removing Tom Daly from Louis' mind. They showered together lazily, kissing under the stream of hot water and giggling together as they soaped up each others bodies, removing the smell of sex and musk from themselves. Things had continued to be ok as they got dressed in their normal clothes, gathering up their cases, being careful not to forget the pink cuffs and immediately enquiring about the elevator security tape. They got the taxi that would take them back to the tour bus with minimal fuss but the minute they arrived back at their travelling home it became obvious just how bad they'd fucked up and how much trouble they were actually in.

Two of their managers were on the bus, stony faced as ever with crossed arms sitting on the couch with backs too straight as they waited for the pairs arrival. The other three boys sat sheepishly alongside them, clearly worried about their friends. Louis and Zayn swallowed hard at the sight before them, sitting down on opposite ends of the couch and sheepishly preparing themselves for the lecture they were obviously about to receive. It was clear that everyone in the room was aware of what the two had done last night and although the other boys knew they'd been hooking up for ages they hadn't thought it as being serious enough they would risk kissing in public. A lecture didn't come or at least it didn't at first. Instead a stack of magazines and newspapers was handed to each boy with various pictures taken from different angles with different qualities of the night before, each coupled with what were meant to be slanderous headlines. "Louis Tomlinson a cross dresser?" "Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik cheating on long term girlfriends...with each other?" "One direction-And it's not straight" "Tomlinson and Tom?" Some were actually rather creative and Louis found himself having to bite back laughter as the the list went on and on.

"Um...so what do we do?" He spoke up sheepishly, rolling his eyes at some of the more ridiculous accusations. He was not having a 'wobble' with his gender identity as the Daily Mail seemed so desperate to prove. That was when the lecture came and the rules followed soon after, rules which basically made it impossible for the two boys to be together in public at all. Rules that made their blood boil. It was so stupid how they weren't allowed to be themselves but apparently there was no getting out of it, the contract they'd signed when they were young and stupid gave them little to no freedom and they certainly weren't allowed to complain, they had to suck it up and learn to cherish brief encounters in the tour bus or long glances on stage. The fans had been so supportive of the idea of Zouis being a reality but management wasn't having any of it convinced that them actually coming out would be detrimental to sales and so they were only allowed to be themselves when they were completely out of public view. It was OK really, it was manageable but it wasn't enough and by the time their second tour was nearing its end and album number three was due to be released their relationship, if you could call it that was struggling. Both of them were forced to get more and more 'serious' with their beards which stopped them being able to get more serious with each other. Zayn was even forced to fake a proposal in an attempt to give Little Mix more fame and he hated it with every bone in his body. He hated how he wasn't allowed to love who he wanted, how he could never just hold Louis when they were in public and Louis needed it, how most nights they both slept alone which he knew always ended up with Louis crying himself to sleep. None of this was right. They could be role models, help so many people by coming out but they weren't allowed despite the positive things everyone would get from it.

There was admittedly days when it was bearable, days when they could be out of the public eye and they could just spend their time loving one another, stealing sweet kisses getting to know one another's bodies. Or the days when they weren't surrounded by their normal crowd of paparazzi or sleazy journalists and could actually act like best friends again. Or even when they'd meet fans who'd gush about how cute they both were, how they knew the girls were beards and how they'd ask for pictures with the two together innocently. Management couldn't make them say no to that. And there was a select few perks that came with the entire world thinking they had girlfriends. Zayn could get away with visiting upper class lingerie shops in Paris, or any other city for that matter blowing a small fortune on a pretty underwear set that, if he was photographed, the world would think was for Perrie when in reality it was just for Louis and Louis could to the same for himself. They could go on 'double dates', sneaking off to the bathroom to give each other head or messy hand jobs while journalists sat nearby drafted articles on how smitten with the girls they were. It always was exhilarating to do that stuff in public. They could get away with doing quite a lot of things sneakily but as good as that was it wasn't always enough, Zayn wanted to be able to do everything openly. Well, not the hand jobs but fuck, he wanted to take Louis to Disneyland with him not Perrie because quite frankly the girl bored him out his mind. What's the point in having the world as your fucking oyster if you cant spoil the fuck out of your boyfriend? It frustrated him more and more as time went along and at times it did get a little bit too much.

* * * * * * *

"Zayn please stop sulking babe, i don't exactly like this anymore than you do but I have to go out today and it has to be with Eleanor, I'm sorry love." Louis whispered gently against Zayns ear, leaning against him on the couch of the bus. Zayn sighed, crossing his arms and pouting a little bit. It wasn't fair for him to sulk, he knew that much but it also wasn't fair for him to have to let his boyfriend go out with someone else. A girl to be exact

"I don't know if i can do this much more." He whined, not even ashamed of how needy he sounded. Louis sighed, leaning to kiss the boys cheek tenderly. This was hard on the both of them but Zayn seemed to take it worse than he did.

"I know baby, I know but we have two more shows to do and then we're on our break babe. We can spend Christmas together then go somewhere nice and private and spend all the time you want together, it'll be perfect baby I promise you but for now i have to do this. Eleanor's contract finishes in a month too remember? It's not for much longer" He tried to soothe. It seemed to work because Zayns shoulders relaxed a little and he stopped pouting quite so much. The idea of a whole five months off tour with most of that time being spent somewhere private with Louis was really appealing even if they should be able to spend all of their time like that.

"Ok." Zayn sounded defeated but he perked up a little bit when Louis leaned in to kiss his nose, smiling and looking into his eyes with pure adoration.

"And we have a hotel room tonight, remember?" Management had put Liam and Niall together but they'd agreed to a secret swap, something that made both Louis and Zayn really happy. Zayn nodded again as Louis kissed him once more before leaving the bus. 

"Gah!" Zayn groaned the second Louis was gone, sprawling out on the couch and huffing loudly. "Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck." He shouted out, not caring which of the boys would undoubtedly hear him talking to himself. This wasn't fair. He was trying to act as if it was, take it all in his stride just like Louis did but god, he was in love with Louis, sure he hadn't said it to the boys face yet but he really did and this whole sneaking around thing was "bullshit." He spoke out loud. Why was this so easy for Louis to do?

"You alright mate?" Niall asked, skipping into the living room, cheerful as ever, taking in Zayn's rather miserable appearance on the couch and swallowing his smile because he sat looking miserable way too often.

"Louis' on a date with El." Zayn spat, tone unnecessarily harsh as he spoke to Niall. He knew it wasn't the boys fault, Niall had nothing to do with any of it but Niall didn't have to hide himself. A sigh left the blonde boys lips as he sat beside Zayn on the couch.

"Her contract runs out in a month or so remember?" He tried to soothe. Liam had been trying to talk management out of this whole thing but it was taking a lot of time as he had to prove to them that they hadn't been aware the initial contract they signed allowed Modest to interfere with relationships like they had been but proving you didn't know something was apparently very hard to do. It was almost impossible really but slowly he was getting there, management seemed farm more warm to the idea now anyway. He hadn't told Louis or Zayn about his attempts yet, not wanting to give the boys false hope and so Niall had to bite his lip about it too. Zayn groaned.

"And I'll still be engaged to the wonderfully boring Perrie." He muttered under his breath as there was no positive for his situation.

"Touché." Niall said softly, leaning to kiss the boys cheek in a friendly manner. "It'll sort itself out Zee come on, anyone can see you two love each other." Zayn just about choked on his tongue because fuck, love? Had he really been so transparent that even Niall had figured him out? The blonde boy must have noticed the way Zayn's cheeks flushed dark red because a smirk of a smile spread over his lips and even his voice seemed to grin as he spoke, sounding a strange mix of knowing and incredulous. "Have you not said it yet?" Zayn shook his head slowly.

"I don't think Louis loves me yet." He admitted shyly, voice barely a mumble. Niall burst into laughter, blinking a few times and looking incredulous, shaking his head as if he'd just heard the funniest joke ever.

"You twat." He retorted, typically Irish in his manner as always. "He acts as if you're the god damned sun Zee, he really fucking adores you and it's obvious to anyone... Well, anyone who knows you that is. He's probably just as scared to say it because he thinks you don't yet too." Niall said smugly with a nod of his head and a wink that caused Zayn to flush again, something he seemed to be doing a lot of recently. He bit his lip as he nodded, considering what Niall had just said before sighing.

"Sorry for being so mopey, it's just...well y'know, having to pretend we're just friends and all is kinda killing me." Maybe he did change the topic away from his own stupidity in a little to get Niall to stop grinning at him like that and maybe it worked as Niall pulled him into a cuddle, rubbing his back softly. Everyone agreed and everyone could see that it wasn't fair remotely to put Zayn and Louis through this and Niall with his heart of gold had protested the most and was still protesting...only mentally.

"I'm sorry Zee." He mumbled, not really able to do anything to comfort Zayn because fuck if his girlfriend had to go out with someone else and he couldn't even hold her hand in public he'd be pretty inconsolable.. "Hey? Do you wanna go for a drive while Lou's out?" He offered hopefully because distraction appeared to be the technique that worked best and slowly Zayn agreed. Of course he'd rather go for a drive with Louis but for now Niall have to do.

* * * * * * *

Louis had been right about how perfect their break would be. Zayn had come to realise that for the most part Louis was always right, it was their third Christmas as a band but their first Christmas a couple and both boys were hell bent on making it perfect. They'd just finished the Take Me Home tour and the midnight memories album had been released so apart from a few press dates and special performances they had until April off the road. This meant they were basically free to do whatever but all Louis and Zayn wanted was to be together.

It was Christmas eve and they'd both visited their families and made the necessary holiday time appearances with their 'girlfriends' (as well as taking pictures that they could upload on Christmas day to make it seem like they were together) so they were just enjoying each others company. They were in Louis' flat which had quickly become theirs, curled up on the sofa together by the Christmas tree and watching TV lazily. There was a stack of presents under the carefully decorated tree and a fleece blanket wrapped around both their bodies. it was perfect, heavenly and Zayn had a special surprise for Louis he knew would make the night better.

"Lou?" He spoke softly, sitting up with a smile on his face. "I've got something for you to open now. It's kinda tradition in my family to give the people you spend Christmas with pyjamas on Christmas eve, yeah?" Louis nodded curiously, face lighting up at the idea of an early present. He was such a kid at heart. "Well you don't wear pyjamas but i got you something to wear tonight anyway." Zayn grinned, reaching under the couch and pulling out a very pretty pale pink box with black ribbon and the words Agent Provocateur written over it in cursive. They hadn't really spoke about Louis' thing for girls underwear but he sure did have a lot of it now, this set however was special. "Go to the bathroom and put it on babe." He said sweetly. "Then come to the bedroom." Louis nodded, taking the sleek box gratefully and going to their bathroom.

The first thing Louis realised when he opened the box was that, although most of the lingerie Zayn got him was good quality and normally a little bit pricey this set was the most expensive one he'd ever been given, without a doubt. Inside the pretty pink packaging was a lightly boned basque, golden and heavy and so intricately detailed Louis was almost scared to touch it. He remembered exactly where he'd seen it, knew that it was the piece he'd been lusting after for many months now but could never dare ask Zayn to buy him. Zayn had got him the panties to match, all thin straps with the bum made out of sheer golden lace as well as the golden thigh highs made out of the silkiest fabric Louis thought he had ever felt and finally two golden wrist cuffs joined together by a thin chain. The curvy boy blushed, hands tracing over the expensive fabrics as he slid out of his clothes, did Zayn expect him to actually sleep in this? He was afraid to even touch it wrong it let alone risk ruining the set by sleeping in it. Nervously he laughed at how silly he was being, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a smile as he heard music playing from the bedroom, reminding him he had a boyfriend waiting for him and he should probably hurry up. Especially as Zayn seemed to be up to something. Wanting to find out the exactly what Zayn was up to as soon as possible Louis wriggled into the expensive panties before slipping on the corset type item, it was amazingly easy to lace even with no assistance and it didn't feel heavy at all despite the boning in it. Flushing softly Louis slid on the silky thigh highs, connecting them to the suspender clips before putting the thin cuffs on his wrists. Fuck. He felt incredible.

"Zayn, I'm ready." He called out, unlocking the bathroom door and slipping out.

"Ok babe, come to the bedroom yeah?" Came Zayns reply, his tone light as if he hadn't just given Louis expensive as fuck lingerie to wear. blushing softly Louis padded to the bedroom, slipping a bit due to the silk of his stockings. Whilst his small lover had been getting dressed Zayn had turned his attention to the bedroom, lighting candles, scattering rose petals over the white sheets and playing music softly in the background. The room smelt of sweet vanilla and Louis couldn't help but feel warmed by it was he stepped inside, falling under Zayns gaze for the first time. It was no secret that Louis was pretty but like this he was beautiful, all soft lines made softer by the gentle fabrics of the lingerie he wore. "You are so fucking perfect, do you like it baby?" Zayn asked, sat on the bed in just his boxers, a soft smile on his lips as his eyes raked over Louis' body.

"I love it Zee, thank you so much." Louis whispered, blushing and looking down causing Zayn to grin wide and gesture for the small boy to come closer to him. Louis did as he was told, getting closer to the bed and, when he was close enough, Zayn lifted him up onto the mattress, hands holding the boys curvy waist tightly, possessively.

"Mine." Zayn murmured, kissing down the column of Louis' throat eliciting a sweet moan from Louis' parted lips. "All of you is mine Louis? You get that, no one else gets to touch you, no one else gets to see you like this." Another sweet moan left the smaller boys parted lips, he loved it when Zayn got like this, all demanding and rough yet still so gentle and loving. Teeth nipped Louis skin and the the smaller boy found himself pushed back on their shared bed, the golden chain that held his wrists together was pulled up, looped over one of the bed posts keeping his arms raised above his head as Zayn hovered above him, a welcome weight. "Going to make you feel so good tonight baby." Zayn muttered, kissing down Louis' neck to where the corset began, it was a shame but the beautiful piece of underwear had to come off, he wanted to be able to see all of the beautiful boy beneath him. His fingers worked easily to undo the ribbon of it that had taken the smaller man so long to tie, slowly slipping it off of Louis' body, remembering to unclip it from his thigh highs too. Smiling Zayn admired Louis' flushed chest, leaning forward and biting one of his nipples playfully as his hands continued to roam over his body, this time deftly removing the stockings that encased the thighs he loved so much. Ok, maybe Louis had only worn the lingerie for a few minutes and maybe it had cost upwards of a grand in total but those brief minutes had been so totally worth the extravagant cost.

"Zayn!" Louis mewled as Zayn's teeth bit into his thigh, breath hitching as the boys mouth moved further up his body, coming to the waistband of the panties and taking a small piece of the fabric in his mouth, pulling it away fro Louis' skin before allowing it to snap back eliciting another with draw of breath from the small boy in front of him.

"You want some more baby? Want me to show you who you belong to?" Ok maybe Zayn was overdoing it just a little bit but the Elouner Christmas shit was driving him crazy as was the Zerrie stuff and he wanted to make Louis very clear on where they were standing. When Louis did reply Zayn shook his head, moving his mouth away from Louis' body all together as he sat up, shaking his head a little bit. "Answer me." He warned. "That was a question." Louis tried to hold in a moan at the tone Zayn used with him, it was so fucking hot and made him feel even naughtier than he already did just laying there in a pair of panties with his wrists bound together.

"Yes." His voice was all breathy and cracked slightly as he answered Zayns question. "Please, show me I'm yours Zee." It was a little bit embarrassing how desperate he sounded but Zayn loved that and Louis knew it. Unfortunately Zayn very much seemed to get off on teasing Louis, edging him and playing with him and although it was amazing it did leave him a writhing, begging mess. "No teasing though." He tried causing Zayn to laugh and shake his head, a smirk playing out on his lips.

"I told you I was going to make you feel beautiful tonight Lou, teasing is very much on the table." He said simply before ducking his head back down and starting to press kisses over every inch of skin he could reach, his hands gripping Louis' thighs tightly in an effort to stop the boy writhing quite as much on the soft sheets of their shared bed. Louis groaned, partly because of Zayns refusal to just give hi what he wanted straight away and partly because the boys mouth was moving over his cock, pressing kisses over the fine lace of his panties, lips just grazing his sensitive skin.

"Please." Louis whimpered pathetically, hands moving to grip Zayns hair tightly, hips bucking up as Zayn continued to kiss and lick through his underwear. After what felt like an age Louis felt the boys fingers hook into the waistband of his panties, pulling them down over the swell of his arse and freeing his now very hard dick. However it appeared that once again Louis would have to wait for what he wanted as Zayn moved back up to capture Louis' lips with his own almost the second Louis was freed from the expensive fabric. They kissed messily: a clash of teeth, bites nearly drawing blood, too much tongue and wet lips. Neither of them caring much for technique as Zayn pressed his weight onto the smaller boy beneath him, rocking their hips together. Eventually Zayns jeans became uncomfortably tight around his crotch and so he pulled back, causing Louis to whine then moan as he watched Zayn undress as if the boy shedding his clothes was a sure enough sign that some form of release was coming his way. He was wrong. Zayn went back to his previous mission, focusing on marking every piece of Louis' skin, whether it could be covered by clothing or not. He was past the point of caring about what the media said and he knew Louis felt the same, the marks would be written to be the result of a rather interesting, rowdy night in with Eleanor and that would be the end of it.

"So. Fucking. Pretty." He annunciated each word with a kiss, large hands kneading the plumpness of Louis' bum as he made a line of love bites straight down his lovers chest, starting where his sternum began and stopping just below his belly button. It never failed to amaze him, the way Louis' skin would turn red before purpling almost immediately. He always had made complaints about the fact he bruised easily but that was somewhat a blessing to the pair now considering how much Zayn loved to see every last mark he'd made. Giving the skin just above the boys abdomen one final love bite and, not wasting any more time he lifted Louis legs a little and ducked his head in between them, pressing a soft kiss to the boys entrance. Louis went wild for being eaten out, he could come off it almost instantly but Zayn wasn't going to let him come, it was all part of his plan to completely wreck the boy. Now that they had the time for long, teasing sex due to not being in a cramped bus with 3 other people they were really going all out.

"Zee!" Louis mewled as he felt the wet heat of Zayns mouth against him, eyes rolling back as Zayns tongue licked at him quickly, occasionally dipping his tongue and breaching his entrance. "F-fuck Zee." He was unable to keep quiet, eyes eventually closing and wrists struggling against their binds. He longed to run his hands through Zayns soft hair, to tug at it and hold his head down like he was normally able to do.

"Sound so fucking amazing." Zayn mumbled against Louis, his own eyes watching intently, his lips slick with his own spit. "Love getting you like this Louis, bet you want to come don't you." Obediently Louis nodded, his cheeks flushed and lips parted. It made Zayn smirk. "Too bad I don't want you to come just yet then isn't it?" He said as he pulled away eliciting a loud whine from Louis.

"You fucking tease." He groaned, eyes snapping open and a pout forming on his lips. Zayn just smirked.

"You love it though." He said confidently, sitting up a little and holding Louis' hips tightly. "Tell me what you want Lou, tell me how you want me and maybe i'll let you have it, no teasing or anything, you just have to beg for it." Another smirk spread over his face, raising one eyebrow at the boy who only now managed to look slightly embarrassed as if Zayn hadn't just finished eating his ass out.

"You arse." He mumbled shyly but when Zayn leant in and started kissing at his earlobe, taking it gently between his teeth and pulling slightly he realised that he really wasn't going to get what he wanted unless he begged for it. "Please Zayn, please fuck me now, want you so badly." He said softly, tone all husky as he tried to whisper, not liking how needy he sounded when he begged out loud. Despite how hard he was trying to be quiet his begging had the desired effect as Zayn leant over almost the second the words had left his mouth to grab the lube off his dresser. His tongue had stretched Louis' rim enough but his spit was not a good enough substitute for lube so, in order to make it more pleasant for the both of them he spread the substance over his length, wiping the excess around the boys entrance. He was getting impatient now, wanting to be in Louis as much as Louis wanted him. Holding Louis hips tightly Zayn pushed into his tight heat, eyes closing in bliss at the feeling of the older boy wrapped around him.

"God babe, so fucking perfect." He murmured, giving Louis time to adjust before starting to fuck into him properly, the sound of their skin slapping mingling with the loud moans that left Louis lips. That was another of Zayns favourite things about Louis, coming just after how easily his skin marked, how loud he moaned. Not only did Louis sound fucking beautiful but it was always such a compliment, a sign Zayn as doing good, or sometimes even really good and that made Zayn rather proud really. He was the one who got Louis to react like this, no one else could. And, if Zayns plan went, well... to plan, no one else ever would.

"Zayn, oh my god Zayn!" Louis mewled, getting louder despite his best efforts, wrist pulling the gold chains that held them together. "Zayn I-I'm close already." It wasn't surprising, with the new lingerie and Zayns teasing and now just Zayn Louis was very much on the edge. Zayn smirked, leaning down and kissing Louis, capturing his moans with his mouth as he fucked him harder, the headboard smacking against the wall. He felt Louis bite at his lip, a loud whimper leaving his lips as he came over both their chests. Zayn groaned at the sensation of Louis clenching round him and followed suite, falling slightly against Louis' body as he reached his orgasm.

"God Lou." He eventually managed to get out, pulling out the boy and freeing him from the binds that had kept his arms tied to the bed. "You are so fucking perfect." Louis just blushed, still breathless as Zayn went and got a wash cloth, cleaning them both up before getting into bed, pulling Louis close to his chest.

"Merry Christmas Zee." Louis eventually whispered, voice sleepy as he curled to the larger boy. Zayn laughed softly, having completely lost track of the time.

"Merry Christmas baby."


	2. Last first kiss

Eleanor's contract ran out at the end of January and she wasn't forced, or rather coerced, into signing it again meaning Louis was actually allowed to stage a break up and be single. It wasn't that much of a change for him given that he still wasn't allowed to actually date the sex he was attracted to but it was sort of a start. For one he didn't have to go out with Eleanor all the time, or ever again for that matter meaning he got to spend a lot more of their free time with Zayn. It also meant he was allowed to be more flirty in general, whether that be with interviewers, fans or the boys themselves. He never meant any of it and proved that to Zayn after every time but subtly he was managing to get the fans talking about his sexuality in a way management couldn't really punish them for because 'I'm just being friendly'. Zayn certainly wasn't complaining as sometimes the flirtation was directed at him and it felt like they were almost a real couple.

It was great that Louis no longer had to go out in public, allow himself to be photographed and generally act as if he loved Eleanor, it really was and Zayn certainly wasn't complaining there. Eleanor had been nothing but a hindrance and Zayn hadn't bothered making any attempt to try and like or get to know her. It wasn't fair that she'd got what he couldn't have all the time. But he quickly realised her being out the way didn't really make that much of a difference to their lives. in the long term him and Louis were still bound by contract to follow managements rules and that meant restricting their relationship to when they were alone, being unable to go on actual real dates like a normal fucking couple and being sworn to keep it secret to anyone who wasn't a close friend or immediate relationship. Maybe he was asking for too much, they weren't exactly a normal couple given their fame but Jesus Christ they should at least be able to go to the cinema together from time to time. Zayn tried not to show that he was at all bitter about the situation, knowing that Louis was delighted with their current circumstances and for a while it was easy for him. Louis made it easy. He was so happy, so obviously elated by not having to fake a relationship anymore and being able to (somewhat) devote himself to someone he actually loved. But the months of their break were passing by quite quickly, they were in tour rehearsals before Zayn knew it and he didn't like it. He wanted, needed, things to just slow down. The minute they were on tour it would be a rush of cities and dates and fans and interviews and promos and etc. etc. etc. He wouldn't have time for Louis and Louis certainly wouldn't have time for him. The thought alone was terrifying.

It didn't really help that he had Perrie in the picture still. Louis may have escaped his beard but Zayn now had himself a lovely fake fiancée. Truth be told he disliked Perrie more than he disliked Eleanor and that in itself was a pretty impressive feat. The girl was just...well, for one she wasn't Louis, in fact she was his polar opposite in many ways the most obvious that she was very much female and it kind of rubbed Zayn the wrong way that management hadn't even tried find him someone he could at least relate too. There was nothing even remotely relatable about Perrie other than she had also been on X factor and there was only so many conversations you could have about the judges houses before that topic expired. As well as being not Louis the girl was a parasite, her entire band was. The only reason Perrie had been paired with Zayn, besides the obvious hiding he was gay bullshit, was that it would bring Little Mix more attention. She would get more and more famous as Zayn got more and more depressed and management got really creative with ways to spark the press' attention. The first was the 'cheating scandal', ruining Zayns rep as he had to allow himself to be seen as an absolve man slag. The second was the tattoo that really hadn't been made to look like her deliberately, it had just kind of happened. The minute it was pointed out it looked like her Zayn had wanted to get it removed but management wouldn't let him. "It makes you look like you dote on her Zayn, just wait till the contracts finished." The third was obviously the proposal but the list went on and on and Zayn hated it, it seemed the more he tried to recoil from management the tighter they grabbed him.

Soon enough their tour rehearsals started though and Zayn found himself with less time for fake dating, less time for dating in general actually. Their schedule was hectic and he knew over the next few months that was only going to get worse. The Where We Are Tour was a stadium tour, they would go to over 50 different cities in all of the continents over the space of six months. Award ceremonies would take place, press conferences would occur, there was fragrance releases, book launches, interviews and radio shows all alongside performing. They wouldn't have a moment of free time really and although excited nerves ran almost as high as they had their first time touring. It always was scary to have to say goodbye to their flats, their family and dedicate themselves entirely to what would be 6 months of work.

The Where We Are Tour came upon them way too quickly in Zayns opinion. Hurtling them once again into a life on the road. The travelling was always the worst part. For all Zayn loved meeting fans and seeing new cities they never really got to see the places they visited as no sooner had they finished a show or completed an interview they were either shoved back on the bus or taken to an airport. They all seemed to live in a permanent state of jet lag for the 6 months even with the two week long breaks that seemed to crop up from time to time much to their relief. During this time there was almost always another thing they had to do, whether it interview or public appearance that stopped the being able to catch up on their sleep. It didn't help that they never had their own bed, just a bunk on a bus or the bed of a hotel room, they were often comfortable but just not home.

On nights of shows the crankiness fuelled by their sleep deprivation was always replaced by a stress filled haze that filled the atmosphere of every room any of the five walked in to. No matter how many times they got on stage they still all experienced the manic flutter of nerves not unlike the panic they'd been in prior to their first ever X factor performance and it still caused them all to worry hopelessly about all the things that could possible go wrong with their performance. It was hectic and although it was amazing to see so many places, to meet so many people it was every night, less than a month into the tour and Zayn was already in need of a break. Of course he didn't get one. He had to keep working, they all did. They had to wait for the next scheduled fortnight off from their fucking crazy schedule, the next gap in stadium bookings, and pray they wouldn't end up traipsing around to about 50 different interviews in that said time off. It made them all irritable at best and Zayn couldn't help but take it out on the others sometimes.

They were all so fucking happy for a start. Not that Zayn wasn't happy it's just the others were a constant reminder that he wasn't completely happy, not like he had been when this all started. for one he had to put up with Liam and Sophia. Liam truly loved the girl and she loved him just as much, there was nothing wrong with this but they could go out together and post pictures on Instagram and just enjoy being in each others company properly. They didn't need to hide themselves. It did spike Zayns jealously and it didn't help that Liam had also grown up a lot. He was well and truly out of his awkward long hair and even more awkward buzz cut. He got nothing but praise for his appearance from fans, again igniting more jealous sparks. And Harry was completely comfortable with himself, drifting in and out of being with men or women without batting any of his often mascara coated lashes, expressing himself in more and more controversial ways, happily blurring the lines of gender. Fans still thought he was fucking Louis and that didn't stop him carrying about his best friend and flirting on when on stage, he was allowed his sexuality as it was less offensive due to having no preference. Niall had been given some trouble with his knee but he was easily occupied by his golf and the hundreds of women flinging themselves at him. He was happy to just fuck around with no commitment, enjoying life as it came at him. Louis didn't have Eleanor to drag him down anymore and was also having more fun with his appearance, perhaps influenced by Harry he took advantage of their travelling and wealth and booked many a tattoo appointment. He started working out too, taking more pride in his body which Zayn had to say had never looked better. Sure they still all got hate, they were a boy band, it was expected, but they didn't really experience the same level of it that Zayn did. The racist crap, the shit about his tattoos, about his 'cheating', about his religion. It was stupid but it hurt and sometimes, just sometimes he couldn't help but think that maybe things would be easier for Louis if he was with Harry. He wouldn't have to deal with Zayns moodiness and since the start of X factor Louis and Harry were self confessed soul mates (in the most platonic way possible they would hastily add). He told Louis this once and the boy spend a solid hour reassuring Zayn that he was very much in love with him but still the thought of it ate Zayn up inside and he couldn't help get more protective over the smaller boy. God, he really needed to get stupidly fucking drunk.

As it turns out they all did.

Stress levels were running high between all of them and with the break coming up they were getting slightly touchy. Not like touchy feely, things weren't that bad (yet), more just antsy and snappy. It was torture to have to wait for freedom for so long. Conversation became hard to maintain due to any serious attempts to talk resulting in them exploding on one another after a slightly snarky comment was mind. On stage they were their normal selves because they had to be, it was expected of them, but on the bus or wherever they were when out the public eye they were prickly at best and Zayn was no exception to this. He could barely bring himself to stop glaring at Harry every time the boy so much as laid a hand on his Louis. It wasn't fair how close they were allowed to be now, after the Zayn/Louis kiss scandal had basically confirmed the existence of Zouis in the fandom world Harry and Louis could comfortably return to their stupidly close act and not generate enough Larry rumours to get management on their case. And, as he was just friends with Harry Louis saw nothing wrong with being close to the boy, proceeding to cuddle and touch him when they were in public or on stage almost as often as he touched or cuddled Zayn when they were alone. It was the cause of most of the couples arguments and although Zayn always apologised to Louis for being such a 'possessive prick' as Louis put it he couldn't help the fact he still had an urge to show Harry just who Louis belonged to. Of course Harry was well aware of their relationship, given that he was constantly reminded of it just like all the others were when they walked in on the couple making out in the living area or something but Zayn wanted to be extra sure. He was a little bit mad when it came to Louis.

In fact by that point he was just a little mad in general. He knew his life wasn't really that bad, that he was over exaggerating everything due to being constantly jet lagged, that he definitely was deserving of Louis given all the work he put in their relationship and that there was no denying Louis was in love with him. He was tired, that was all and it made him a bitch, he wasn't alone with it though, Louis acted like a child most nights and Liam mostly conversed in grunts now but their break was nearly upon them. On the day before they would (finally) be allowed to just sleep normally they were somewhat united in a spirit of freedom and desire to get drunk deciding it necessary to hold a 'last night in this shitty-luxury bus before the next leg of tour where we'll travel some more in this shitty bus' party with as much alcohol as they could actually get their hands on.

And given their wealth that was a lot of alcohol.

* * * * * * *

Harry and Louis were sitting beside each other on the couch, each of them clutching a bottle in their hands, giggling as they watched Zayn and Liam battle it out on Fifa. Their legs were tangled together, Louis half in Harry's lap as the taller boy held his hip and they chatted under their breaths about the most random of topics. Niall was in the kitchen, presumably making them some form of fish bowl from what was left of the vodka and lemonade, not that any of them really needed anymore vodka. They'd been drinking since the show finished and now, 3 hours later at 2 am they were all completely and utterly hammered. The living room of the bus was a mess of bottles, pizza boxes and sprawling limbs and although Zayn knew there was nothing between Harry and Louis he couldn't help but keep glancing at them, just in case, causing him to get well and truly distracted from the game. He didn't mean to be so over protective but every so often he found himself having to give Harry a glare, reminding him that Louis was in fact taken and he shouldn't be holding him like that however as the night progressed on it seemed that Harry was losing more and more respect for friendship boundaries and his hold on Louis got progressively more intimate.

"Do you two mind?" Zayn snapped after he lost massively to Liam, throwing the controller down and turning to face the pair. Harry was holding Louis' thigh now, head resting in the crook of the smaller boys neck and, if every so often he pressed a soft kiss against Louis' neck that was for him to know. Well, he'd meant for it to be his little secret at least but apparently Zayn had noticed. "Harry get your fucking paws off my boyfriend." Liam, ever the neutral person sensed there was going to be some form of argument and went to find Niall, not wanting to get pulled into the debate, they'd been at each others throats all week and he wanted their last night of tour to be somewhat calmer. Even if it was only calm for him. Harry slowly moved away from Louis, putting his hands up in surrender for a moment before meeting Zayns eyes, giving him a challenging look.

"What if I don't want to?" And OK, that was new. So was the way Harry was looking at Louis, his Louis. He moved his hands out of the surrender position as quickly as he'd put them there, gripping the smaller boys thighs once again in such a possessive manner that Zayn almost did a double take, a low growl leaving his throat because hell, what was Harry playing at?

"Harry, get your fucking hands off!" Harry just laughed, a knowing smirk playing over his lips as he moving a little so he was sitting up, pushing Louis' thighs apart easily.

"What if Louis doesn't want me to?" He said knowingly, nodding at Louis who looked wrecked already, legs spread and Harry's large hands preventing him from closing them. He was only wearing his boxers and one of Zayns shirts but still looked overdressed for the position he was in. Zayn raised an eyebrow, looking at his boyfriend curiously, anger dissipating because was Harry suggesting what he thought he was?

"Louis?" He spoke carefully, not wanting the boy to think he was angry with him or something like that. "Louis do you want Harry?" A sigh of relief left his lips when the boy shook his head but he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at the same time because oh...maybe that wouldn't happen then.

"I want both of you." Louis whispered after a tense few seconds, his voice quiet as if he was ashamed to be asking for something like that. It wasn't that Zayn didn't satisfy him, he couldn't be more content with their sex life but he had to admit that, just like it had been when he was a teenager, a threesome was still very much on top of his list of things he wanted to try. Zayn did a double take, biting his lip and looking up at Harry, both of them seemed to wear matching looks of confusion, gone was the tension between them as they tried to silently figure out whether it was ok to overstep such a large boundary to make Louis feel good.

"Fuck it." Harry muttered, hands still holding Louis' thighs apart, biting his lip as he looked away from Zayn and took in his best friends already fucked out appearance. "Lets do him Zee, c'mon he wants us both man, you can share for just one night?" He all but begged, looking at Zayn for permission to move further.

"Ok, shit, ok Harry but if we do this we do it my way right?" Zayn finally snapped out of his trance, crouching down beside the couch and running a hand through his boyfriend hair, grinning when Louis mouthed a quick 'thank you' to him. Maybe this would get rid of the sexual tension that had always lingered between Harry and his boyfriend, maybe, hopefully, shit he was drunk. Easily he lifted Louis, moving him so he was sitting up on the couch and undressed him. Once Louis was naked he smirked, proud because he got to see him like this all the time, Harry only got brief glances and this one off occasion. He ran his hand through Louis hair once more, kissing his neck once. "Why don't you show Harry what you can do with that mouth baby." He coaxed. Harry seemed to stiffen up as Louis gestured for him to come closer, sitting on the edge of the couch as he undid the boys pants. It was hard to not feel jealous as Zayn watched Louis taking Harry into his mouth, drinking in the way his head bobbed and how his throat moved as he swallowed around Harry. Although Zayn would never admit it for fear of being asked to share his boyfriend again it was a very hot sight. Harry seemed to be loving the warm heat of Louis' mouth, moaning in approval as the smaller boy took more and more of him down his throat.

"F-fuck Louis." He stuttered out, hands moving to hold the boys hair, moving his head gently. If Zayn didn't know that Louis loved to have his face fucked he would have stepped in right there but Louis adored it, loved the lack of control and the way it always left a burn in his throat, a reminder of what he'd done that would be present the next day. "God your mouths so good." Harry sounded as if he was already on the edge, voice trembling as he continued to use his grip on the boys hair to move his head. It filled Zayn with pride actually, to think that Louis with his needy gagging and sinful mouth was all his. He could have this all the time and this was Harry's only go. The boy knew it as well and, if the way he fucked Louis' throat was anything to go by he was determined to make it count. Zayn watched, mesmerised by how prominent the outline of Harry's dick in Louis throat was for just another moment before clearing his own throat and speaking.

"Ok, Louis baby, I think Harry's had enough there. Get on your hands and knees so he can prep you, ok love?" Zayn cooed softly, placing a hand over Harry's so he would loosen his grip and Louis could back away. Harry nodded shakily as if he'd been given Louis' command, eyes all wide as Zayn asked him to go get a bottle of lube. He walked on shaky legs, clearly close to an orgasm which made Zayn smirk before he knelt down to kiss his boyfriend. The first time Louis had done that for him he'd been exactly the same. "You're so fucking good for me babe, tell me if this is too much yeah? I can see you're getting all dazy yeah, don't want you to slip in front of Harry." He spoke gently, hand rubbing Louis' flushed cheek, a smile on his face as Louis nodded. Sometimes well, quite rarely actually, if Louis was overwhelmed or they were trying something new he tended to slip into a kind of head space and go all floaty. It had been scary the first couple of times but Zayn had brought a book (Yes it was titled 'Bondage For Dummies' but it was informative ok!) that explained the whole issue and how to get Louis out of it so it was no problem now, it just left Louis a little vulnerable and Zayn wanted that to be kept just for his eyes in case Harry tried to take advantage of it in any way.

"I-I'll use my word if i can't take anymore." Louis confirmed, smiling sheepishly as he felt Harry move back to behind him, large hands holding his skin in a way so foreign to what he was used to. The contrast between Zayns smooth hands and Harry's calloused ones was one that made him squirm a little bit until Zayn gave him that look, pushing his own trousers down. He knew Louis like the back of his hand and, if distracting the smaller boy just so happened to bring him immense pleasure that was solely his business.

"Tell me if you want it different." Harry mumbled, sensing he'd been momentarily forgotten as he spread lube over his fingers, barely able to believe that he was doing this with Louis and Zayn, his best friends. It was weird. And not because of their friendship but because of how easy he seemed to fit with them. Not that he thought this would happen again it was just....nice. And yeah, maybe he was still a little bit too buzzed. Shaking his head to get rid of his mess of thoughts Harry slowly slid a finger into his best friend, biting his lip because oh. Now he understand why the pair were at it like rabbits. Louis was tight but not in the way every boy Harry had been with was, in a velvety sort of suffocatingly hot way and with an ass like his Harry should have expected it. "Fuck" He gasped, moving his finger slowly, seeming mesmerised by how Louis felt. It made Zayn chuckle a little, moving his lips to his boyfriends ear.

"You've got him so badly baby." He whispered secretively, watching Harry as the youngest eventually seemed to snap out of his trance and actually began to focus on opening Louis up. He seemed concerned with Louis' safety and pain tolerance, something Zayn definitely approved of and he couldn't help but lean over his boyfriend to kiss Harry's lips gently, taking the boy by surprise and making Louis whine because he was no longer in the centre of attention. Harry giggled when Zayn pulled away because why not? This was absolutely brilliant. Slipping another finger into Louis he scissored them slightly, enjoying the way it made Louis squirm and moan out loudly. "Quiet Lou, you'll wake the others up." Zayn scolded playfully, positioning himself a little better so Louis could suck him off. The others wouldn't wake and even if they did they were used to the sweet sounds Louis made by now but still. Zayn was already sharing with one person that day he didn't want everyone to join in.

"Fucking hell." Harry mumbled, stopping his movements to watch Louis take Zayn in his throat for a moment. It was no secret that the couple were hot but this was something else entirely. It was strange how even though he was very much included at the same time Harry felt like some sort of afterthought. The two were just meant for each other, that's all it was. Tearing his eyes away from Louis' mouth and his throat and Zayns dick Harry looked down at where his fingers now were, letting out a low groan as he fucked Louis open with them. He'd never been able to get off on fingering himself yet alone fingering someone else. By the time he'd added a third finger, still deliberately avoiding the smaller boys prostate, hand hitting off the boys arse as he moved them faster, causing it to jiggle in a way that could only be described as delicious Zayn decided Louis had had enough.

"Do you want him first?" He asked Harry, moving back so Louis could no longer reach and get his mouth around him just as Harry removed his fingers from within him, making Louis to whine out loud at the loss. Harry thought a moment, as much as he would love to go second, fuck Louis until he was well and truly wrecked he figured that was very much Zayns place. Plus he wasn't sure how much longer he could wait, practically itching to get inside the boy he'd been best friends with for so many years.

"Yeah I'll take him now. Uhm, can I, can I move him?" Harry questioned, looking up through green eyes, his long hair falling out of the bun it had been previously tied up in, the bobble that had contained it undoubtedly being held captive within it. Zayn nodded his head slowly, watching as Harry sat down on the couch, lifting Louis easily so the boys back was to him, his legs splayed either side of Harry's thighs. That was a new one but Louis didn't seem to protest and, with the view of his bum Harry had he wasn't complaining either. Zayn would have to try it sometime. "Can you lift yourself up on me Lou?" Harry asked softly, hands rubbing small circles in the boys hips. Nodding slowly Louis did as he was told, one of Harry's hands disappearing from his waist to line himself up as Louis moved down. "Fuck." Harry breathed, eyes closing because if Louis had been tight around his fingers he was suffocating now in a way that made Harry's stomach feel like fire as the boys arse finally rested against his own thighs.

"A-ah." Came Louis' sweet moan when he was finally seated, eyes closed and face scrunched up in a way Zayn had always, since the first time they slept together, found adorable. It was almost a relief that, with Louis having his back to him Harry couldn't see it. Once used to what Zayn guessed was a considerable burn Louis began to rock his hips, testing which was to move felt best in the position he'd never tried before. Once he'd found one that caused his lip to fall from between his teeth and his mouth to form that endearing little 'O' Louis began to move with more confidence, lifting his hips up and down at a pace with Harry's almost clumsy (but still hot) assistance. "Oh god!" Louis mewled, no longer focusing on being that quiet as his breath became more heavy, soft moans leaving his lips every time he felt the jab of Harry to his prostate. "Oh god, oh fuck-Harry" Zayn had always admired the sounds his boyfriend could make, even before they were boyfriends. During their time in Harry's dads bungalow all four of them had heard the boy getting himself off. It was funny because Louis spent most of the average day talking about Hannah this, Hannah that, spending his time on the phone to his 'girlfriend' but from the start they'd all known he was faking. The sounds he made each night gave it away, pretty little whimpers and whines, soft gasps of the word daddy from time to time and they'd come accustomed to the buzz of a toy reaching their ears through thin walls from time to time. None of them minded of course, Zayn had gotten off on it himself. There was something about the contrast between Louis' insistence he was actually masculine and how feminine he became when actually aroused that just did something to him.

"Fuck Louis, so tight." Harry purred against the boys ear, the sound of their skin slapping together filling the small living room. It was pure bliss really, to finally get to be inside Louis. Harry could no longer deny that this had always been something he'd craved and he was almost afraid of getting addicted now he'd had a taste of how good it could be. Louis writhed a little on top of him, moans getting more high pitched as Harry's thrusts became more desperate. So close to an orgasm despite his reluctance for this to be over. "F-Fuck." He stuttered out, biting the smaller boys neck as his hands held Louis closer to him. "I'm close." Louis just nodded, clearly trying to hold out for Zayns turn despite how badly he too needed to climax. His eyes screwed up as he felt Harry's grip tighten to a nearly painful point before he came, hot and wet inside of Louis.

"You did so well Louis baby, look at you. You made Harry come so good." Zayn was by his side instantly, whispering words of praise as he lifted his boyfriend off of the other boys cock, holding him close to his own chest finally. Harry just panted, eyes closing as he relaxed in his post orgasmic haze, not paying attention to the couple now. "Do you want to make me come to? Do you want to come baby boy?" Louis mewled, nodding his head a little bit dazed with how badly he craved an orgasm. It was all he could think of, the desire pumping through every one of his veins.

"Please." He choked out, small hands gripping Zayn's chest and that was all the encouragement his boyfriend needed for him to line himself and push in, slowly. Where Louis had been loud beforehand he was especially vocal now, moans catching all high and pitchy in his throat. Perfect was the word that had sprung into Zayn's mind. Simply perfect. He fucked the boy hard and fast, with purpose, aware that neither of them would last long with how electric everything felt due to the bizarreness of the situation. Despite how fast it was over, both of them curling into a blissed out post orgasm haze on the couch of the bus within ten minutes it was honestly the best sex they had. Maybe Zayn could thank harry for flirting so hard with his boyfriend rather than giving him a stern lecture about it in the morning.

* * * * * * *

For a while after their threesome things became unusually good. They liked to joke and pin their new found sense of each other on the fact that three of the band members now had a far better understanding of each other's well....members but in reality they all just seemed to fit together as much more of unit. And it was obvious to anyone who watched them or worked with them. Sure, their music had always been good, despite popular opinion their success wasn't exactly carried solely by auto tune but almost as if over night their harmonies became effortless. Their voices just seemed to sync, naturally, with no rehearsal. They could put on an entire show having ran it through in about half an hour, allowing them to perform with fresh minds and voices which their crowds loved. Undoubtedly this musical epiphany came down to the fact they'd been together for four years now rather than being the result of some damn right amazing sex that allowed them to 'understand' each other better but still.... For the first time in their careers the sound that they had found was actually worth sticking too, actually something they enjoyed performing rather than generic lyrics they'd all grown out of around the same time they ditched the matching coloured trousers. Midnight memories had brought about something far closer to rock than their previous albums with lyrics that were far more mature. The innuendos in their word choices did make performing more enjoyable in that they were allowed to actually grow up a little but it didn't take away the sick feeling of homesickness that hadn't left since they first got on the road. Touring with songs that were actually bearable was nice there was no denying that fact but it was still tour and they were still one direction and Harry fucking Styles could still touch Zayns boyfriend more than Zayn himself could in public.

Despite the whole fucking Larry carry on that seemed to be all the more popular that Zouis...but still wasn't stopped by any member of their PR team.

It was this, and many other aspects of his life, that resulted in Zayn deciding that life simply wasn't fair. The majority of which could most certainly be classed as first world problems and simply came down to him taking things for granted or not appreciating what he had when he had it. For example, it really did annoy him that, despite being rich enough to actually afford to do so he couldn't go get a Starbucks every morning on the grounds that, although he had money he was now too famous to do so and fans finding out his regular coffee haunt would result in chaos. He couldn't go get a tattoo without fans showing up in or around the parlour he'd chosen offering stupid amounts of money to get his own face tattooed on their bodies to mark having caught a glimpse of him, or demanding to get tattooed by the same artist. This never failed to leave most artists baffled and unwilling to work with him again due to the havoc wreaked, even if they didn't mind working with him again he had to choose another the next time time due to the embarrassment that came with seeing the looks on the faces of the middle aged artists, who had no knowledge of one direction when he had to explain himself. Quite often it was simple disbelief and he was too ashamed by having his life questioned to return. And then there was the fact that, no matter where he got them from or how many he brought, no phone charger seemed to reach from the socket near the skirting board of the bus to his bunk comfortably and, there was the added nuisance of his bunk being the one with the broken internal socket. However, despite all these definite first world issues there were things in his life that were unfair and had nothing to do with him taking anything for granted. The biggest cause of these unfairness currently was Louis.

Although Louis was adamant that what they'd done with Harry had had no actual meaning he didn't always act that way. In fact he very much acted as if something had changed in their friendship. It wasn't as if he'd fallen in love with the curly haired boy but he seemed all the more aware of the chemistry they had between them....and it wasn't hard to recognise that an easy way to get Zayn all wound up was to let his hands linger on his best friends bicep, to cuddle a little bit closer at the scary part of a movie and play up the idea that they were a couple a heck of a lot more in front of fans. At first Zayn hadn't minded so much, it didn't come across as an unfairness really just more of a nuisance as it was a fail proof way for Louis to get him frustrated. The smaller man would tease, Zayn would snap, angry sex would ensue and Louis would be left grinning like a cat who'd got the cream only to step up his actions a little bit the very next day. And although this was fun and did result in a heck of a lot of sex for Zayn the novelty of it wore of quite quickly. Not only was it annoying to not be able to enjoy his time with Louis properly due to him pushing buttons with Harry but it most certainly wasn't fair anymore. He had no idea how the two of them were even getting away with it! The way Harry and Louis were touching and cuddling and acting was more intimate that Zayn had ever been with Louis in the public eye, other than the Halloween incident and it was infuriating. Firstly because if it was him Louis, his own boyfriend, was flirting on with they would both receive very angry phone calls very quickly and be reprimanded heavily for so much as breathing near one another. Secondly Louis saw no problem with continuing to act that way and it only made matters worse for Zayn.

Fuck how close they were, fuck how close they'd always been, Harry and Louis were acting as if they were in a relationship and Zayn couldn't actually take much longer of it. He hardly got to speak to Louis as it was with all of their managements rules and he was beginning to feel incredibly threatened by how much Louis seemed to adore the other man. Maybe it was all in his head, maybe he was just incredible paranoid after sharing his boyfriend but something told him he wasn't. No matter how hard he protested to the pair being so close Louis would laugh him off, tell him he was just being silly in a way that was meant to sound like a reassurance but felt like a knife to Zayns heart. He couldn't tell if he really was just over reacting, the others certainly hadn't seemed to notice anything or made any effort to tell Harry to back off (which he guessed they'd do if they felt harry overstepped a line with their best mates boyfriend) but then they didn't know Louis like he did? Louis could be incredibly unsure of feelings sometimes, fuck it had taken them forever to get together and after the first time they had sex Louis had literally ran away from him so maybe he was just testing the waters out with Harry? There was no intention of cheating there he just wanted to figure out how he actually felt around his mate after what they'd did. It wouldn't be fair to Zayn if he did feel for Harry so he wanted to be certain. Those weren't exactly Louis' words but Zayn knew him well enough by that point to guess that was what he really wanted to say when quizzed about what he was doing. The angry sex had stopped after all so he couldn't exactly use that excuse of trying to wind Zayn up anymore but he still didn't give any specific answer to why Harry now seemed to come before his own boyfriend. In fact he'd simply shrugged.

"He's my best mate Zayn, we're going to be close and you've never had a problem with it before?"

So there'd been no admission, no humble apology for the way he was pulling at Zayns heartstrings and most unfair of all no distance had been put between Louis and Harry. In fact they seemed to grow closer, sharing longer glances, more inside jokes and becoming more inseparable than Zayn had actually thought possible. Needless to say it resulted in much arguing between the actual couple. Louis was insistent that nothing had changed and maybe Zayn was just incredible fearful to lose the man that had been his ever since they'd laid eyes on each other. As adamant as they were that they were right, that the other person as deluded or lying they always seemed to make up eventually...one of them always cracked and apologised and took the other into their arms solemnly but that wasn't the point. For the first time since they'd met on X factor it felt as though they weren't really happy with one another Zayn was going a bit crazy with it, almost certain he was being lied to and everyone else was just blind to it as they didn't know Louis like he did. He'd convinced himself he was right, that his boyfriend was taking an interest in Harry and although he was wrong, although Louis was simply getting loser to Harry because Harry was struggling with everything more than he actually cared to show Zayn was blind to it. Any hint the others left that he needed to back off went over his head or he simply blocked it out, too determined to prove that Harry was attempting to steal his boyfriend away from him. It was this idea that really did set in motion their fall.

For one Zayn couldn't actually stand to be in the same room as Harry anymore. At first there was simple hostility between them, Zayn had what Harry still lusted for and Harry didn't seem to respect Louis was unattainable, especially now he'd made Louis come...It wouldn't have been right for Harry and Zayn to go back to being close after that really. But it definitely escalated. Zayn made it obvious that he didn't appreciate all the extra touching Harry seemed to think he was entitled to yet Harry seemed to just increase the way he flirted, deliberately seeking a reaction from the other male. Harry was grateful for the support Louis was giving him, he missed his family a lot, the media made up shit and their job wasn't exactly low stress... It was a lot for one 20 year old to handle and was one of the reasons Louis had been so caring. It wouldn't make sense for him to not be grateful considering how much time Louis spent with him but there was only so many times he could take the endless accusations from Zayn, or hear Zayn and Louis arguing, before he decided that maybe Louis did deserve better. That maybe he was in fact that 'better'. The fans preferred Larry, management were okay with it seemingly and they'd technically already fucked? Harry began to feel as if he had a shot and what had at one point been a close friendship soon crumbled, neither of them keen on backing away first. It was simply a matter of pride but the one who backed down had the added injury of losing Louis.

And he was quite the prize.

Eventually it became obvious to Zayn that the whole arguing every day thing wasn't exactly improving his and Louis' relationship. It was a large lump to swallow but he figured he would have to keep his accusations to himself....or start some kind of angry diary at least. Arguing daily was hardly going to make Louis choose him over Harry, which Zayn figured would have to happen eventually, in fact it would do nothing but push him away further than he'd already ventured. And so plan two came into action. Treat Louis like a fucking king, worship him as much as he could, show him off as much as possible, make him want their future etc. etc. etc. Zayn would not lose someone that had been his since the first time they laid eyes on each other, he couldn't let it happen and it was unfair to even have to consider doing so. He was Louis' boyfriend and he planned on being his fiancée then husband at some point and if that meant putting in extra work now? So be it. He'd do anything to keep Louis' heart and so he worked on that anything, planning carefully exactly how to get Louis to fall in love with him again and forget his curly haired best friend. It was going to be his last chance for quite some time.

* * * * * * *

Under normal circumstances it would have been easy to formulate his 'win Louis over' plan but unfortunately, as he was constantly being reminded these weren't normal circumstances. With the pressure he was under to appear straight and not actually get too close to his boyfriend he couldn't exactly just take Louis out. No matter how much he wanted to. The media attention they'd get would be absolutely off the chart and management would never sanction it or give them the security they'd need to prevent an ambush of screaming females. If he was going to go ahead with this date night idea and rekindle their romance not only did it have to be spectacular but it also had to take place indoors, out of the view of the world. Again this caused problems, for one how were they to even get alone time together? Properly alone that was, out of the way of Harry and the others (but Harry in particular) and how could they make sure staff wouldn't sell any stories of them to sleazy tabloids? Winning Louis heart was proving stressful in that it was taking longer than Zayn wanted it to even formulate his plan but it was worth it. More than worth it. Seeing Louis with Harry hurt like fucking hell and as much as they were adamant it was nothing Zayn would be damned if he let it continue.

And so he continued to plot for quite some time... Ok maybe it was only a couple of weeks but luck had just happened upon his side for once. They had a big gig coming up, not quite Madison Square Garden big but still quite large and that seemed to earn them a hotel room each. Or rather, as they were One Direction, a hotel suite each and that provided the perfect circumstances for Zayn's plan to woo. And it was a really fucking nice suite too so he could have an absolute field day completely sweeping Louis off of his feet.

For the days leading up to their stay in the hotel Zayn tried to back off a little on the whole Harry/Louis situation. He was kinda hoping it would stop them arguing and Louis would be more inclined to go along with being wooed if he hadn't been a shouting match the same morning. It seemed to work quite well. Obviously the less sarcastic remarks he meant the less arguments they had but that alone wouldn't send Louis running back to his arms. He knew that much. It was a nightmare to do so but a couple of days before their performance, days which had been dedicated to meetings and radio shows and rehearsals, Zayn managed to slip away from the others. Not even taking a security person and so being careful to keep himself disguised he'd busied himself getting all the bits and pieces he would need to get his boyfriend back to being his. Lube, rose petals, champagne, expensive bubble bath, nice china plates, actual roses (the fancy boxed kind), more champagne, a beautiful black leather bracelet with a silver clasp, a set of soft towels and two new fluffy bath robes, as well as a Buffy the vampire box set were all things he ended up bringing back with him. Some aspects of the night such as the room service meal he had on order specially, his plan to give Louis the roses and the bracelet with quite the flourish and the bubble bath accompanied with champagne were set in stone for Zayn. He knew Louis would appreciate them the most as he always had been a sucker for expensive gestures. The rest of the night however, was open for interpretation and rather reliant on Louis' decision. They could either dry off with the extra fluffy towels, pull on their bathrobes and watch Buffy all cuddled in each others arms or end up kissing champagne off of each others bodies and making love on a bed full of rose petals. Hence the lube. Either way he was so fucking excited for his work to pay off because it had been oh so hard to keep it secret.

Of course there was a huge part of him that kind of wanted to brag to Harry that it was him and him alone who got to do this kind of thing for the man that had become the object of both their attentions. Despite Harry's advances and how close he'd become to Louis Zayn was the one who fell asleep with Louis in his arms, some nights at least. Bragging would cause a fight and as sweet as the temptation was fighting was something he need to try to avoid...so he bit his tongue. He could enjoy his feat afterwards with some degree of subtly.

The day to put his plan in place came about quite quickly and he'd have been lying through his teeth if Zayn even attempted to say he wasn't incredibly nervous. Things needed to be just perfect and so a great deal of preparation was put in place. He'd slipped away from their rehearsals early just to sort out with the kitchen the timing of their meal, triple checking they could still make them Louis' favourite. He'd made sure Louis knew to come to his room that night, giving a specific time and everything. It was ridiculous how many times he'd actually asked but as Louis had agreed each time he was fairly confident that there was at least a chance the night would go ok. Despite his best efforts there was still some area for error.... The others were supposed to be going clubbing to celebrate after the gig and if Harry got to Louis' head as he had been doing so much there was a chance he wouldn't turn up. That would kind of make all of Zayn effort pointless and would definitely result in a rather large argument, probably more than that too as to Zayn it'd be his final straw.

Of course the gig itself went without a flaw, even with the ever growing bubble of nerves in the pit of Zayns stomach. It had been hard for him to focus on actually singing properly as it was something which seemed so trivial in comparison to the possibility of winning over or losing his boyfriend. His love. Maybe his performance hadn't been his best but it wasn't so bad anyone noticed how jittery he was and thought to ask Zayn how he was feeling. There was no way the secret would have been kept if someone had asked him that. They all appeared elated though and if they were concerned about performance no one brought it up. Sure, Louis was still distant as ever when it came to talking to Zayn and begged Harry to carry him out to the car instead of his boyfriend but he sat next to Zayn in the back of their car which Zayn supposed showed some minor degree of thought.

"You're still coming to my suite right?" He asked softly, against Louis' ear, not expecting the mans eye roll at all. Ok? That was something new. Louis had always at least attempted to hide any potential disdain to Zayn he may have.

"Yes, Jesus. How many times have you asked now?" The smaller man snapped leaving Zayn in silence and shock. It had only been one question but apparently everything he did annoyed Louis' at this point in time. Pointedly avoiding looking at Harry just knowing that the man would be wearing a smug look on his damn face Zayn stayed quiet until they reached the hotel and he could leave to his room. Although he'd left sound check a few times he had a few things left to set up and, as desperate to make an impression as he was he had no time to lose. Hopefully Louis would show as, if he'd just blown his chance he wasn't quite sure how he'd recover from the disappointment. This had been on the table for months but it was all reliant on Louis cooperating now.

Louis didn't seem to want to cooperate anymore.

Not that Zayn was panicking but he'd told the other man to be at his suite for 6, the meal as sheduled to arrive for them at quarter past as he knew Louis would be hungry but now it was 5 past and Louis still hadn't turned up. He'd never been one for punctuality but when Zayn was involved he normally put in his best effort to turn up on time. Apparently tonight, the night Zayn had constantly reminded him of wasn't worth a prompt appearance though. He probably hadn't even twigged that Zayn was up to something what with all the eyes he made at Harry and yeah, he was only five minutes late but Zayn wasn't over reacting. A terrible part of his brain was telling him that his worst worry had actually come true and as much as he waited Louis wouldn't be turning up any time soon. Trying not to just give up to his worries and go to bed Zayn sat down to wait some more, reminding himself of the effort he'd made to make the room just right, if Louis was a no show he would still wait all night. It quickly passed quarter past, the food went cold, the candles burnt to stubs, the suit Zayn was wearing beame uncomfortable but still Louis didn't show. In fact, he didn't show until well past eleven, over five hours late. It was obvious he had been drinking but he appeared sober up as he walked across the threshold and came face to face with Zayn. As his eyes raked over the suit Zayn wore, the cold meal for two on the table in front of him, the trail of rose petals leading to the bedroom they should have shared that night, the soft atmospheric music playing in the background and a navy gift box perched on the table beside what should have been his plate they seemed to lose their drunken haziness.

"Oh" Louis whispered at the same time Zayn choked out "Surprise." The pair of them making eye contact for a brief second before Zayn couldn't take it anymore, utterly humiliated he stood up, looking at his boyfriend with nothing but accusation in his eyes.

"I asked you one thing and you couldn't even do that. You spend all your time with the others now, you act like we're not together and I ask for one thing, not even being subtle about it's importance and you chose to go clubbing over doing what I'd asked of you. All you had to do was come here, you could have left after dinner, I got you your f-favourite." No he would not cry but he couldn't quite stop his voice from cracking. "I got a box set in case you didn't want to do anything, I wore a god damned suit, I bought you a fucking present because I know how much you love being spoilt fucking rotten. This was the only night I was certain could be ours that's come our way in such a long time and you give it to Harry and alcohol." Fuck it, he was crying. So much had been put into this being their chance to find love again and now he wouldn't have a chance for god knows how long. Louis was bound to just drift away further.

"Zayn..." Louis began, taking a step forward and feeling his world kind of shake. Normally after he went out with Harry Zayn would get angry but he'd never cried before and it chilled Louis to the bone because suddenly he caught a glimpse of just how many liberties he'd been taking with his relationship...with their relationship.

"Don't Zayn me, for the love of God Louis? I know things haven't been great, I know i've been jealous and distracted and an arse to be around but I tried so hard to stop that. We haven't fought in weeks and how could you not know I was up to something by how many times I asked you to come here with me? I know Harry's your friend but that's not how he sees you and you spend so much time with him I barely get a look in. I've been more than fair but this wasn't fair, this was fucking cruel. There's no way you didn't know coming his was important yet you still show up 5 hours late?" He wasn't even shouting, just rambling miserably through a stream of tears that probably didn't make him look very appealing but he couldn't have cared less. "I'm tired of chasing you Lou, I'm not even sure that you want to be mine anymore and if any of this is worth it." And now it was turn Louis to feel his heart breaking into pieces. Harry had at one point needed his time but he knew deep down that that phase had passed and he'd just let it happen, just carried on ignoring the man his heart really belonged too. He'd been selfish and stupid and now he'd royally fucked up.

"Zayn I am yours, I've always been yours." Louis tried to plead, running a hand through his hair like he always did when he was stressed, clearly hearing the way Zayn scoffed and launching into an explanation. "Harry was having a hard time ok? Like at first he really did need me close and i guess it was fun to have you chasing me again but I should have realised when the novelty wore off." The smaller man stepped closer again, this time reaching to grab Zayns hand and clinging to it when it wasn't pulled away from him. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry I've been so blind to your feelings and so stubborn with mine. I've been selfish, I've pushed limits that I shouldn't have pushed and I've hurt you out of my own deliberate attempts to pretend i wasn't screwing up. I deliberately sabotaged tonight because, well..."He paused for a moment, seemingly looking for the right words before speaking more subdued this time. "Because... I didn't think we still had the capacity for romance after arguing for so long. Even when we didn't fight I could see you being unhappy and I didn't want to face what I figured would be awkward or a break up or something horrible and it took that act for me to see how wrong I've been. Im sorry Zee."

And fuck their night had become a scene from a soap opera way too fast for either of them to actually leant the script. Zayn wasn't sure what his next line was at all.

"I could never leave you." He whispered, figuring that expressed how he felt well enough. "Never."

"I know." Louis sighed out. "I would never leave you either. I really am sorry Zayn." He mumbled, moving to cuddle his boyfriend now he figured all their shouting was done with. Sorry wouldn't get them back this night but it was a start, Harry was just going to have to learn to share again like he had before their drunken experience together. "How can I make this up to you?" He said against Zayn's neck, nuzzling his head into the crook there.

"I don't know." Zayn answered honestly, not even sure how they were going to come back from what felt like months of disinterest in each other. Harry was undoubtedly going to cling harder when he noticed the increased effort that Louis was putting in. "Stay the night for a start?" Relief flooded through him as he felt the smaller man nod against his neck, arms wrapped around the slender waist he hadn't held so long as he carried Louis to the bedroom. He tried hard to not think about how much effort he'd put in to making the bedroom look perfect and how sad it looked now with the candles all burnt down to stumps.

"I'm so sorry." Louis repeated as he looked around, taking in the trail of rose petals and everything Zayn had done. He felt worse, if possible, upon seeing them because clearly romance had been the only thing on Zayns mind while he was out feeling sorry for himself. The darker haired man swallowed, also saddened by the sight of his failed efforts. Shaking his head as he laid the boy down on the typically 'too comfy' hotel bed.

"Don't apologise." He said, shaking his head. "I mean...don't apologise anymore, it's fine for now. We'll get through it." He shrugged as he slipped off his nice shirt and jeans before getting into bed, not used to Louis beside him. The other man moved closer to hold him for the first time in what felt like ages, wrapping his arms around his boyfriends waist and cuddling him tight.

"I'm going to make it up to you." He whispered against Zayn's ear, kissing his cheek. "I really do love you." Zayn swallowed hard, not sure how to respond to Louis at this time, instead he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep.

* * * * * * *

It was like starting to date all over again for the next few days meaning they were nothing but awkward with one another. Any touching was short and conversation was very much centred on catching up on the things they'd missed from each other's lives in the time they spent arguing or apart. It was weird, to say the very least to go from being so close to being so distant but Zayn had accepted it as a necessary and at least it showed Louis was making an effort. For three days he'd blown harry, not in the sexual sense, but in the sense of cancelling all their plans so he was free to spend time with Zayn and yeah maybe he should have done that to start with but it was still an appreciated gesture. They didn't get round to any love making, keeping all bodily contact as neutral as possible as they were unsure of each other still but the cuddles they did share were nice. The kind of intimate that was still innocent, like things had been at first between them. In some ways learning how they worked all over again was a luxury, they were happy. And on the third day Zayn was even sated enough to give Louis the bracelet he'd intended to be a present on the disastrous date night, he was even good tempered enough to watch Buffy with the smaller man after the man had cried onto his shoulder for an hour. Slowly but surely they became the same zaynandlouis they had been before they let life, or in this case tour stress, get the better of them.

It kind of brought back the fun that had originally come along with making music and touring again too. Their norm had slowly become a world of arguing and in Zayn's case fighting for his lovers attention. Combined with the constant jet lag those factors had done nothing to prevent the two becoming very much exhausted, bored of the routine they'd fallen into that was a definite drain on their lives. Now that the arguing and fighting was gone, however temporarily as they basked in their new found honeymoon faze, they felt refreshed. The stress had been partially lifted and at that point in their lives, having not stopped touring for a round about 4 years any slight relief would have quite dramatic consequences. They were visibly less tired, engaging with fans more again, putting their hearts into every show and trusting one another enough to wear said hearts on their sleeves again. At first the others had found the sudden shift in the dynamic that was zaynandlouis strange as it wasn't the norm for them either but they didn't complain. Relationships within the band had been strung as tight as possible, barely allowing any of them to communicate and the sudden release of tension made things better for everyone. Well, almost everyone.

There as still the issue of Harry, as Zayn had known there would be.

At first he kept quiet about the change in attitude, as sudden as it was he didn't react as suddenly seeming to need time to think which he seemed to have a lot of. With Louis no longer speaking to him half as much as he had been and Zayn not speaking to him at all Harry was left to try engage with Niall and Liam which worked but not to the extent he would have liked. With all the fighting Liam and Niall had grown closer themselves as there was safety in numbers as far as the battle over Louis had been concerned. They'd formed their own world of inside jokes and smiles that was so reminiscent of how he and Louis used to act Harry couldn't stand to be alone with them long just as they couldn't stand to deal with his sulking as much. So, due to the limits in who he could converse with Harry was left to his own devices quite a lot and as much as he didn't complain it was the first sign of the fact that, despite the band being less strained as a whole there was still unavoidable tensions (subtle but still prevalent tensions) in between them. And, as time passed and the where we are tour faded into a new album and tour rehearsals and eventually the on the road again tour the tensions grew with them. Zayn and Harry never talked out their differences, skirting around the issue that was still very raw in their hearts, blinded by hatred and jealously for one another. They acted civil at best on stage but Harry couldn't get over what he'd lost and Zayn was afraid to lose what he had again by letting his guard down. Of course it was stupid, unnecessary as the desperation on Zayn's face that failed date night had very much shocked Louis into understanding where his hearts allegiance should lie and he wasn't prepared to sacrifice that again but neither of them had given that factor much thought, still convinced Louis' heart was a prize.

Louis didn't mind so much. Any time Harry spoke to him Zayn could just about manage to keep his cool, not telling Louis off or starting a fight which meant he could keep up a friendship with his best friend, even if that wasn't what Harry wanted. Then when he and Zayn were alone, even if the conversation had only been short Zayn was quick to pull Louis into bed meaning the older man got the perks of a friendship and a lot of really hot sex. And, even if Zayn didn't fuck him he got cuddles and the choice of what programme they watched that night. It was nice really, despite the hatred that lingered between two of his favourite people at least the relationship he held with them both wasn't strained. At first.

Then tour happened and tour was when Harry's plan could come into play for real.

You see Zayn could stop Louis going for lunch with him, he could interrupt conversations and distract Louis so he wouldn't reply to texts but he couldn't stop Louis interacting with him on stage. Louis and Harry were still very heavily shipped together and it brought in quite a lot of positive attention to the band and so management wanted them to engage with one another. Zayn however, after the Halloween spectacle was not allowed to be as close and couple-y in the public eye and Harry could use that. To some extent Louis and Zayn would see the overly friendly interactions as part of the show and Louis would have to go alone with them as it "pleased the majority of the fans" according to management. But, to the same extent, it would annoy Zayn especially if it was exaggerated more than strictly necessary and that would eventually start the arguing up between the pair. At this point Harry didn't even think he wanted to be with Louis, he just couldn't stand him to be with Zayn. He planned to start off small, to allow the insecurity to grow and fester as it had like before in hopes of turning the pair away from each other then to gradually up his antics and eventually do something that'd cause a riot in the audience. And the end of Louis and Zayn as a couple.

Alas, he did more than that.

Gradually, over a couple of months Harry increased the amount of contact he had with Louis on stage, revelling in the screams that seemed to erupt from the crowd whenever they were close, he changed lyrics to be more obviously directed towards a man and went out of his way to insight fear into Zayn's heart. Louis had to act back, just in case rumours started to circulate they were drifting and management didn't really say much against it. The more Larry fan fiction, the more gossip and positive press towards how 'progressive' the band were what with a Muslim member, an Irish member and now a gay couple, the better their pay cheques looked at the end of the day. They were oblivious to the rift that was in fact forming, figuring the first fall out had been solved and so the band were on old terms once again. They couldn't have been more wrong, obviously. Although Zayn didn't mention the touches Harry could tell he wanted to, he could sense the flash of anger appear in the man's face every time Harry so much as looked at Louis now and he revelled in it. That alone gave him some satisfaction but he knew, in order to break them up, he had to push Zayn and Louis even further. If Zayn wasn't even telling Harry to back off it meant he trusted Louis and Harry had to well and truly crack that trust open.

He started with slightly ominous text messages, thanking Louis for things he hadn't really done in the hopes Zayn would see them first but that didn't work, Louis told him to piss off straight away and Zayn apparently didn't even go through Louis' phone. So he stepped it up, asking management to instruct the pair to drop hints they were a couple, that didn't work as Louis refused and Zayn threatened to leave the band if they forced Louis to do anything against his will so those plans were scrapped. He tried and tried again but the only thing that appeared to get a rise were his actions on stage and even then Zayn was silent about his disapproval. Eventually, after all his plans fell through, he realised the only chance he had to truly ruin things would be one great big action stage that forced Zayn to react to what he had been ignoring. What he had planned to be the grand finale, to come after rifts had already formed, became his last chance to completely crack apart the pairs relationship and get what he wanted.

It had to go perfectly.

* * * * * * *

"Where are Zayn and Louis?" Harry asked Niall, breaking the silence that filled the lounge area of their bus. Liam was engrossed in some book and had insisted on hushed voices and, surprisingly, the usually loud Irish man was going along with it. Perhaps whilst he was too busy chasing Louis, a bond had formed between the two band members not involved in a strange sort of love triangle. However, as much or as little as Niall may like Liam that still didn't explain the silence. Louis and Harry should be sat on the floor giggling obnoxiously over something that really wasn't very funny. Niall had shrugged.

"Not sure, they're either still in their bunks or they managed to sneak out for a bit last night." Although they were on the bus they hadn't actually started moving yet, they'd been allowed one night to recover from the constant motion sickness that came with touring. Harry frowned, biting his lip as he tried to decide which one of those options was worse. Both implied the couple were very much in love, spooning together in one of the tiny bunks or sneaking out after most people would be asleep for some sort of date. He fought the urge to grumble, trying to swallow down how bitter he was. It wasn't as if he hated their relationship he just hated how he didn't have that relationship and probably never would. Zayn and Louis were representative of true love in Harry's eyes and that was something that one rarely came across, for Harry not to have it was unbearable, hence why his efforts to break them up were so extreme. He'd given up on having Louis for his own, he knew the pairs hearts were way too entangled for him to stand a chance there anymore but he hadn't given up on stopping them from having each other. All he needed to do was make Zayn suspicious, or make him jealous, or just piss him off somehow and have Louis be the root of the problem and then he'd be able to sleep happily. Maybe not happily, but he knew deep down he was never going to be happy. Not after ruining true love. Maybe this obsessive compulsion of his, this manifestation of stress would ease up slightly and he wouldn't be quite as reminded of how lonely being on tour made him. Having a relationship so perfect practically waved in front of his face did nothing to quell the ebbing misery at night as he went to sleep alone, unable to even call his mother due to time differences. He'd feel better when all reminders of his own sadness were gone. Even if it made Zayn and Louis experience how he'd been feeling ever since Zayn ripped Louis, his best friend, away from him.

"Ah." Harry nodded, standing and moving to his own bunk. At least now he had time to plan out his plan before the pair were all in his face and he ended up hopelessly distracted by doing whatever he could to get Louis' attention. Although he knew his action had to be big he was still unsure as to what he could actually do. For one it had to look real, the fans had to be truly convinced and so did Zayn. The fans were the easy part but Zayn seemed to have developed a much thicker skin as of late. Whatever Harry did would have to pierce through that and hit Zayn pretty fucking hard. Not that Harry really cared, if he was doing this he was doing it all out because the pair deserved to feel the abandonment and hurt that he had.

"Zayn!" He heard a soft voice mumble, just as he got himself settled down on his soft comforter. Immediately his brow furrowed, listening closer despite himself and it appeared he had definitely figured out the couples where abouts. "Zaynnn stop tickling." The voice was a giggle this time, accompanied with a squirm that was oh so noisy given his bunk was directly below Zayn's. Why didn't they just sleep in Louis bunk all the time? Harry hated that they felt the need to switch and consequently disturb him from, well, breaking them up. Groaning out loud, just so they knew he'd be disturbed Harry left his bunk, going to the very end of the bus where they had a tiny little quiet room. God, everyone in this band seemed so set on pushing him away, Liam and Niall with their silence and the couple with their...couple-ness. It was hard to deal with a lot of the time, especially as the main reason he'd got close to Louis had been how lonely he felt being away from his mother and sister and everyone he loved all of the time. The older man had been a great comfort when the loneliness had started to become a bigger struggle but now he was contributing to Harry's isolation. It was a betrayal, straight up, no ifs or buts and Harry couldn't bring himself to put it behind him.

It was one of the many reasons he had go through with this.

Sighing heavily as he slid down against the wall of the little room, knees brought into his chest and head resting on top of them he began to think. He'd already exhausted most of his plans but there was one left, one that was quite drastic and quite terrifying at the same time. Unlike what had happened with Zayn and Louis when they kissed publicly on Halloween if Harry was to kiss Louis publicly he very much doubted they'd have to put distance between each other. In fact, management would probably insist they acted like they were together. Larry had been a money maker and attention grabber since X factor so undoubtedly it would be beneficial in terms of revenue. It would also be there perfect was to really, really piss Zayn off. Louis, ever the diplomat would to an extent, do as he was told by management which would cause conflict between the pair and the rest would be history. Harry wouldn't even have to do much work in the aftermath, other than avoiding Zayn for fear of having the shit kicked out of him, but something told him Zayn was more likely to argue with Louis than with him. He seemed to think Harry wasn't even worth acknowledging these days. Harry smirked to himself, running a hand through his own curls and sighing once more. That was it then, he was sorted. All he needed to do now was find out the next time they'd have a hotel so he wouldn't hear any arguing between the couple and, could easily avoid Liam and Niall who he figured would have something to say about the inevitable consequences of his actions.

It almost seemed too easy.

In fact when it came to it and even when he thought of it from a moral standpoint it was too easy. He no longer cared about the fact Zayn used to be one of his best friends, his main focus now was the rejection and loneliness he felt. It didn't feel wrong to be so selfish after years of putting the feelings of others over his own, he had deserved Louis company and comfort so Zayn taking it away was the true immoral act. Maybe Harry was intent on revenge but if he hadn't been wronged in the first place this wouldn't be necessary.

* * * * * * *

It wasn't long before Harry felt he'd done all he could in terms of build up for the main event. He'd increased the amount of time he spent by Louis' side whenever they were in the public eye, he'd amped up the random displays of affection on stage, the changing of lyrics to fit the smaller boy, small touches to his wrists as they skipped past each other etc. etc. In interviews he went out of his way to imply he was in a relationship, something the media lapped up and the boys simply saw as attention seeking. Even they were completely unaware that Harry was actually hoping it would spark bromance rumours, he managed to act suitably pissed off when they did come through after all. Gradually Zayn's suspicion of him had seemed to lessen and he was actually able to engage in conversation with harry of his own accord now, without Louis there. Of course the damage had already been done. It only took about two weeks and 8 states from Harry finalising his plan for him to realise it was time to put it in place. Everything seemed to be looking up for him. The fans would believe the kiss was real more due to the revived rumours of bromance, Zayn was less likely to keep Louis away from him on stage due to the lowered suspicion and due to his implications he was with someone the media storm would be very considerable. It was all quite exciting to think of.

When the day came Harry had to try very hard to hide his nerves. Although he knew his actions would get the reaction he wanted he also knew his band would not react kindly to what he was going to do. For this reason he sorted out a room in a hotel so he wouldn't have to deal with any violence towards him or end up feeling guilty if Zayn and Louis decided to battle everything out in public. Management actually seemed very much in favour of breaking Zouis up, Harry had told them everything about his plan as he'd wanted to make sure his place was secure in the band afterwards...He also wanted them to act as if it was their idea for him to do this and they agreed to do just that, giving him a contract to sign which promised his security. No matter how angry the others got with him they couldn't force him to leave one direction. Hopefully the knowledge that harry would always be around would be enough for Zayn to back away from Louis, try to protect his own heart by leaving the boy and maybe even leaving for good. Despite all of this racing through his mind he managed to act relatively normal, not letting on that he had different plans that night, planning to go drinking with Liam and Niall even though he'd be well out of the way by the time they left the arena. One part of him was quite sad as this could very well be the end of an era, the end of one direction but the other part of him welcomed the ends. He just wanted to go home and find love...

Love that would be returned rather than taken away.

Eventually the show arrived and his nerves started to bubble rather violently within him. Sure, he knew there was measures in place to protect him from the band but what about the fans? Were they going to be as easily deceived as he assumed? Would Louis try and sue management for forcing him into this? Would Zayn refuse to leave? Would Louis refuse to cooperate and end up quitting himself? That was the biggest question, the biggest source of anxiety. Right before the show ended someone was going to speak to Louis alone, persuade him to walk right over to Harry and go along with the act. They'd only tell Louis after all the intervals had passed so he'd have no time to tell Zayn and it would happen towards the end of a song, so Harry had the chance to give the soppy 'this boy is the love of my life speech' before they kissed again. Louis would have to go with it, the crowd would go mad, the boys would be led off stage in a fake attempt to make it look like management were angry at the pair and then Harry would be escorted away. The plan was to tell the band it was a publicity stunt that Harry was coerced into but Zayn would never believe that.

Harry didn't want him to either.

"Guys, five minutes till stage time!" One of the crew called through the door. Ah, and there came the butterflies. Harry swallowed, turning his back as Louis and Zayn gave each other a cuddle, their pre-show ritual before he was called into the group huddle. A brief sinking feeling filling his stomach as he realised this would probably be the last one. Ok, he was ok, he had to do with this.. He didn't have the time to back out anyway. Swallowing the guilt alongside his nerves he followed the others into the backstage area, picking up his mic and smiling weakly. Everything he'd been planning over the past months had boiled down to this moment, he should be feeling way happier that it was finally here. He was finally getting his own back.

"Lets do this!" He cried out, finally finding a true grin as they were given the light signal to go on stage. They'd done this enough times to know all of their cues so this show should go by without a hitch. On the other side of the stage he could just about make up the man who represented their management, the man who would tell Louis of the plan and the contract he would have to sign after the show. But that wasn't worth thinking about, not just yet, he didn't want to be distracted and so he blocked out the sombre face and focused on the music playing. He could do this. 

As expected the show passed by without a hitch, they'd rehearsed everything so many times by that point there wasn't really any weak spots. Harry danced around as usual, they interacted with fans, joked on as if they were still one big happy family. It was more perfect than Harry could have hoped for. However, it did go way faster than usual, almost too fast for Harry's liking. Although he knew the lyrics to the songs like the back of his hand he wasn't quite so confident when it came to his speech and he didn't want to feel rushed, to go blank when a whole audience was watching. It would just make the whole thing more fake and he was already concerned about this being believable, it was inevitable that some people were going to see it as nothing more than a publicity stunt. He had to convince a majority, as did Louis for that matter. After what felt like the blink of an eye they all left the stage, preparing for the encore. As expected Louis was pulled to one side by the representative and the rest of them were informed briefly of a change in their set list, regarding their finishing song. Harry did his best to play puzzled, eyes fixed on the door of the room Louis had been pulled into, the man really had no choice but play along with everything but that didn't mean he wouldn't protest, or act out. Thankfully he left the room as if nothing had happened, giving Zayn a smile to indicate everything was ok and pointedly ignoring Harry. That was fine, Harry could work with that, at least there'd been no outburst. 

Their first two encore songs passed by just as well as the main set had and finally the moment Harry had spent so long preparing for was upon him. He took a deep breath, knowing the band had been told not to go straight into the first song and looked at the faces of his friends, his best friends. Maybe this would be the end of their relationship, it would certainly make it impossible for him to make up with Zayn at least, no matter how much management put the blame on themselves. To Zayn Harry would always be the bad guy and he was starting to think this wasn't really his best plan anymore but the music had stopped, the contract had been signed, this was his moment.

"Ok, so I first of all want to thank you for being such a wonderful crowd tonight." He spoke into the mic, hearing his voice amplified throughout the stadium and the screams of their fans, even through the ear buds. "So, before we do our last song and say goodbye i figured you guys deserved a little surprise yeah? A present so to speak. Louis can you come up here? Ok so, this really is something we've been wanting to let you know since day one yeah? But it's been...complicated to say the very least and things haven't always been accepted but me and Lou...well, we've kind of had enough of that to say the very least. The point i'm trying to make is that Larry is real, very real and we figured it was about time we let you all know." And with that, with the crowd in silence and all the boys still around him Harry was leaning down to kiss Louis and Louis was kissing back. The crowd seemed to erupt the minute they made contact in a scream that sent shivers so violent down Harry's spine that he could only endure it for 30 seconds before he pulled back, Louis smiling all sickly sweet behind them before they were pulled (in different directions) off the stage.

And that was the end of one direction as everyone knew it.

* * * * * * *

A week later and Zayn had left, officially. He hadn't been able to give his honest reason for the abrupt departure as that would have thrown Harry under a bus as well as detracting from the new publicity surge that stemmed from having two members of one direction come out as being gay so publicly. Instead he was allowed to some what underpin their managements success, saying he wanted his chance to break through of their control just as 'Larry' had. That couldn't really be any further from the truth, although in his head the night of the last concert was somewhat a blur Zayn was very aware of what had happened, even if everyone else was buying the speech management had given them about needing to boost public interest. He knew it was Harry but none of the others would let him slander the curly haired boy, not even Louis would even take a step back and listen to what he was saying. In fact, Louis had defended Harry, arguing that Zayn hadn't even seen the contract so he had no idea what he was talking about. That had really been the final straw and so, as expected and partially as hoped Zayn had left, without a proper goodbye, just a long letter which he'd left on the counter of the tour bus' kitchenette. 

Louis hadn't smiled since.

No one else had seen the letter, the oldest man had refused to let them read it for themselves given that it was addressed to him but they all got the gist of it. From his crying at night and general moping about it was clear Zayn hadn't just left the band, he'd also left Louis. None of them really knew how to react to that, from the start it had always been ZaynandLouis, even when Louis was denying his sexuality, even when they had to hide from the public eye, the two had been inseparable and now Zayn was just gone. In England, at home, while the rest of them had to jump about on stage. While audiences went wild for the glimpses of LouisandHarry that had overnight become part of the stage routine. Eventually Larry would die away, management would announce it to have been nothing but a stunt, people wold boycott one direction for playing with the public so unashamedly, the boys would all go separate ways and do their own things, almost forgetting they'd ever been a unit in the first place. One direction wold be finished.

And they'd all wish they could go back to the start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok so I had originally planned for this to be the final chapter but i could maybe be persuaded to write a reunion... y'know, for closure.


End file.
